Vulcan Hunters
by T'Liana
Summary: Sequel to 'Starfleet Academy'. Over a year has passed since the destruction of Vulcan, but Zia and Spock's trials are far from over. They must face separation, Khan, and emotions. But worst of all are the radical group that call themselves the Vulcan Hunters...
1. Workaholic Pixie

Yes! This is the continuation of Zia and Spock's story! It takes place a year and three months after the first story, in the middle of Zia's second year at the Academy. I hope you enjoy this as much as the first story! Just a quick note, this story has a bit more violence than the first, but that's in later chapters.

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker, **who has agreed to beta this story too. And now let's get started.

o.O.o

**Chapter 1 – Workaholic Pixie**

It wasn't snowing.

A year and a half had passed since Zia Abbott's arrival at Starfleet Academy. For the graduation ceremony of 2258, all first- and second-years were congratulated for completing the year, but it was also a sombre event. The Academy professors and Admirals held a service for the hundreds of cadets who had died earlier in the year above the now-destroyed Vulcan. There were no fourth-years anymore, but at least there were six-hundred cadets instead of four-hundred. During the ceremony she sat with Tara and a group of her roommates friends. Now twenty-years-old, Zia had changed since her arrival. The nightmares no longer plagued her, though that may have something to do with Spock.

Spock had been her professor for a term, before the destruction of Vulcan. He then quit his teaching post and spent months at a time aboard the _U.S.S. Enterprise _as the First Officer to Captain James T. Kirk. When the _Enterprise _returned to Earth, Spock never failed to take Zia out to dinner and dance. He'd gone on nine missions in total and always came back to her. Kirk was renowned for keeping his crew safe and not losing a single person.

Zia walked out of her last exam for the term and stretched. She still couldn't believe that she was a second-year, as she still felt like a first-year.

"How did you go?" Blair asked, stopping beside her.

"Pretty well, I hope. What about you?" They made their way from Block-B to the Cafeteria, shading their faces from the sun. The weather was a lot warmer now and cadets were able to wear shorts, skirts and short-sleeves, which many women were pleased about. Zia wore a maroon top and skirt with knee-high boots; a look that suited her Vulcan features.

"All that study should get me a good mark," Blair said confidently. "I don't want to drop out like JJ."

"That was last year," she pointed out.

"Yeah, but still…"

"Blair, you know you have the potential to do really well, and I've been coaching you. Stick to my advice, and you'll graduate with honours."

"It's hard to graduate with honours," he reminded her. "Spock did, but that's because he's a super-genius. Bolians aren't as good with technology."

"Stop kidding yourself." She grabbed an apple from the buffet table and sat to the edge of the Cafeteria with Blair. He nodded at a few of his friends and took a seat with her, fiddling with the hem of his shirt. She bit into her apple and he pulled his PADD from his satchel, turning it on and checking his messages. At the beginning of the year, all second-years received a PADD to use instead of textbooks. It was very useful for study and communication with professors. First-years didn't get PADD's because 5% of the two hundred cadets dropped out before the end of the year and it would be a waste to give them one. Once the weak were weeded out, the PADD's were distributed and the second-years rejoiced. The novelty had worn off after six months, but it was still a wonderful thing to have.

"I still can't bring myself to ask her," Blair sighed, scrolling through his messages.

"It's all up to you." Zia bit into her apple and chewed. "I can't baby you through this. Just be confident."

"How can I be confident when I've never done anything like this before?" he objected. "What if she says no?"

Zia swallowed her bite and was about to answer when – speaking of the devil! – 'she' came over.

"Hey guys!" Tara exclaimed, placing her tray on the table and swinging herself onto a chair. "Did you just finish your last exam?"

"Yeah," Blair muttered, "_Advanced Physics_."

"Just did _Finite Mathematics_," she said, "and I am so glad that it's holidays! I won't be here though, I'm going home tomorrow morning. Are you two staying?"

Blair and Zia exchanged a glance. "Yeah," she replied. "I don't know about Blair, but I'm staying here and working."

"Oh yeah, you have that job at that restaurant. Blair?"

"I can't go home, so I'm sticking with the Academy as per usual." He met Tara's eyes and glanced away quickly, clearing his throat. "Zia, so when is Spock coming back from his latest mission?"

"He left a few weeks ago, so he should be back in a few days." Zia shifted uncomfortably. Even after all those months (one year and three months, to be exact) she still wasn't comfortable talking about Spock to others. It was just… she felt like they were prying where they shouldn't.

"And he will be, without fail," Tara assured her. "Will he take you out on another date?"

"Most likely," Zia replied firmly, her face tinged green. She pursed her lips, sighed, and stood. "I best get ready for work. Lenika's having another party at the Tervan Dome. You two should go there tonight and have fun."

"Oh yeah, it's another end-of-term party," Tara nodded. "I swear that lady is a party animal."

"Come on," Blair grinned. "We have a party at the Tervan Dome to get to." He stood with Tara and they smiled at Zia before walking off. How grateful she was for her friends. They really were two of the best people she knew and was grateful to know. What she would have done without them, she didn't know. It was because of Tara that Zia was able to conquer her demons and possibly discover the love of her life. She owed her happiness to the black human from New Jersey, and she would do the best to return the favour.

o.O.o

"Hey Pixie," Jamie called, "how were exams?"

"They were alright," Zia replied, hanging her handbag in her locker. "It's hard to believe we're already halfway through the year."

"When do you plan on leaving the Academy?" Jamie asked, tying up her hair in an elegant bun. Her tight white waitress dress clung to her curves and made her alien features (from her grandmother, she said) more prominent. As three-quarters human and one-quarter Orion, she'd found a perfect balance between her ancestors.

"I'm thinking at the end of my fourth-year," the Vulcan shrugged, adjusting her boots. "After that I hope to join the crew on the _Enterprise_ under Captain Kirk."

"That's provided he doesn't get into trouble," Jamie laughed. "From what you've told me he's a real trouble-magnet." Zia gave her a wan smile and they left the locker room. The restaurant was crowded with people eating lunch – humans, aliens, and more. Zia had ten tables to look over and she nodded at Crista, the waitress currently serving those tables. Crista smiled and left tiredly, having been working since six in the morning. It was now two in the afternoon and Zia's shift had officially begun.

First, she collected the plates from a table that had just emptied and took them to the kitchen. The chefs handed her groatcake and larish pie for table 32 and she took the plates to the pair of Bajorans sitting there. They smiled and one asked for a refill of deka tea. She went to the bar and stood beside Jamie, who was working on another drink. The tea didn't take too long to mix and Zia delivered it back to the Bajoran quickly. Table 28 had now been filled, and she took the drink orders for two firenut coffees, two traggle nectars and one cardassian sunrise. The sunrises were very popular and their best seller. Upon her arrival back at the table she took their food orders and conveyed the news to the chefs, who immediately began programming the food synthesisers for the five dishes.

Hours passed. She didn't stop to eat or drink or rest. This was her job and she liked her job. People sometimes glanced at her twice because she was Vulcan, but other than that things went smoothly. She never had the problem with male patrons that Jamie did and for that she was grateful. Jamie was the most beautiful person that Zia knew.

Midnight rolled by and the restaurant closed. Drained, Zia made herself a Vulcan mocha and sat at the bar, sipping it. Jamie slid onto the chair beside her and poured herself some wine.

"We'll help the others after this," she yawned. Zia nodded tiredly and drank deeply from her glass, wiping her mouth when she was done.

"I needed that. Now, time to clean up." She stood and got to work cleaning the bar, while Jamie and the other waitresses wiped all the tables and chairs and swept the floor. It took twenty minutes for the restaurant to be as clean as it possibly could be. Once it was done, Zia shrugged on her cardigan and got ready to leave. Jamie came in too and changed into a loose woollen dress, folding up her white waitress dress.

"How was work?" the Orion joked.

"It was great," Zia grinned. "I really love working, even if it's tiring and I have to work with people."

"Tell me about it." Jamie rolled her eyes. "I got two propositions and a marriage proposal from a drunken Xindi. Just because I'm single doesn't mean I want a boyfriend. I'm just fine living on my own! I don't get why guys don't flirt with you. You're pretty in a delicate, girlish way. And you look like a pixie!"

"I'm a Vulcan," Zia reminded her, "and besides, I have a boyfriend."

"Ah yes, the elusive Mister Spock. You should go home to him."

"Uh, he's on a mission right now, but he should be back in a few days."

Jamie shouldered her bag and slung her arm over Zia's shoulders. "Let's go. I am looking forward to my nice comfy bed and my kitty Kili, and I bet you want some sleep too. Just because you're Vulcan doesn't mean you're invincible, and I bet you haven't slept for the past couple weeks."

"No, I had study and mid-year assessments. Tonight will be the first I've slept for thirteen days."

"What did you do last night then?"

"I needed to wind down, so I swam for hours." Zia thought back to her past with swimming. As a teenager, she suffered from a depression that resulted from her bullying. She needed an outlet for the pain and so she'd begun to swim. It allowed her to channel her anger and pain and eventually calmed her. Now swimming was more for relaxation, as she used meditation as her outlet.

"Last night I went to my mum's house and had dinner there. She is still trying to set me up with rich guys." Jamie winced and opened the door. "It's never going to happen. I've got Kili to keep me warm and I don't need some man."

Zia waved at a pair of waitresses who were still inside and closed the door behind her. "I best get back to the Academy," she said, buttoning her cardigan.

"Let me give you a ride," the other woman suggested. Zia hesitated. "Aw, come on Pixie! It's late and I would feel better if I drove you back."

"But you've never done it before…"

"That's because you're a workaholic so we rarely finish at the same time," Jamie pointed out.

"Okay. Lead the way."

The two women ducked their heads to the wind and Jamie led the way to her car, where it was parked behind the restaurant. Zia didn't have a car. Just sending her to the Academy was a stretch of money, so her family couldn't afford a car. They both slid in and Jamie drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and to the darkened Academy. The temperature was pleasant at this time of night; just the right humidity. Vulcans were adapted to warm weather, whereas cold weather was difficult to them to handle. Zia loved warm weather.

"See you later Pixie!"

"Sleep well Jamie." Zia adjusted her bag and strode to her room, attempting to make as little noise as possible. Quite a few drunken cadets were probably trying to sleep, so it was logical to stay quiet.

Tara wasn't back yet, so Zia took a brief shower, brushed her teeth and awaited her arrival. When her roommate did return, she was perfectly sober and fell asleep pretty quickly. As Zia curled up to sleep, she thought of Spock.

_I wish you were here._


	2. What Happened on Nibiru?

Should probably mention that I'll be updating every Monday and Friday, as per usual. Thank you for everyone who has expressed an interest with my writing; any writer loves it when people reads their stories!

Armfuls of love to **MoreColourfulMoniker **who helped Spockify this chapter (she's much better at writing his speech than I am!).

o.O.o

**Chapter 2 – What Happened on Nibiru?**

Her eyes were closed as she stood in the gym. With an air of practice and finesse, she brought one leg forward and raised the heel, putting all her weight on her back leg and bending both knees. She raised one hand over her head, flattened her palm and split the air in a straight line, coming to a slow stop in front of her stomach. Her other hand followed the same path, coming to rest above the other hand. For several beats she was perfectly still, poised somewhat gracefully in her light stance. Then her fingers curled into fists and she brought them into an 'X' shape in front of her chest. She slammed her front heel down and brought her back knee up, leaping into the air. While airborne, she lowered her knee and at the same time used her other leg to plant a vicious kick on an imaginary opponent. She landed like a feather, balancing on the tips of her toes, and brought her crossed wrists close to her hip before pushing them forward to rest in front of her groin.

"Wow."

A slow smile stretched across her face and she opened her eyes, relaxing her stance. "I take it you've never seen a Vulcan perform Ponn-ifla?"

"Nope," Blair said cheerfully, picking up a fighting rod from the rack. "It's actually pretty impressive." He fell silent and moved to the human-shaped bags, dropping into a ready stance. Zia watched as he began to battle with the bag. It had a mechanical inside that allowed it to move its arms and body, making it a worthy opponent. Well, it also had its own rod, so it was kind of like fighting another being. Zia hadn't worked up the courage to fight one of the bags yet. While Ponn-ifla was a young discipline, she had a long way to go before she mastered it. Spock had been patient with teaching her but there was so much more to learn!

They stayed in the gym for about forty minutes, in which time a few other cadets came to work out. Blair rotated between intense cardio and sparring the bag, while Zia worked on ridding herself of emotion while she performed Ponn-ifla. The emotion bit was easier than it used to be, but at times was a challenge.

As they left the gym together, Blair held out his water bottle to Zia. She took it gratefully and sipped twice before handing it back. "You're getting stronger," she commented.

He laughed dryly. "It used to take five minutes before I was winded. Now it takes forty minutes. I just want to get Tara's attention somehow."

"Keep this up and she'll be all over you," Zia grinned, pulling her hair from its ponytail. "She likes intelligent men."

"I still hold the naïve hope that she'll come back from her holidays and realise that we'd be good together," he said cheerfully. "How awesome would it be if that actually happened?"

The sun beat down on them as they crossed the Quad and Blair stopped them once to converse with his engineering professor about his progress throughout the term. By the time they got to the Cafeteria they were ravenous. The usual buffet wasn't there (it never was on holidays) so they entered their recipes into the food replicators and ate those instead. It wasn't the same as food made from scratch, but it had the same nutritional value.

"I can't wait to get my results," she grinned, taking a huge bite of her t'mirak rice. Blair took a long drought of his tomato soup.

"You'll be the top in physics again," he replied, wiping his top lip. They were joined by two other men – friends of Blair – and the conversation continued, with each cadet debating on their results. Zia loved the feeling of belonging. No one shunned her anymore, but that might have to do with her participation aboard the _Enterprise _last year.

"More than 80% in physics and I'll be happy," Bishop declared.

"_Warp Engineering _is my weakest class," the other cadet said. "I just want 60% at least. We can't afford to fail one term of anything if we want to continue the course next year. The classes and subject matter is getting harder." Zia searched for his name… was it Hannon? Okay, she was pretty sure that was it.

Having taken the night-shift and not having slept the night before, Zia excused herself and went straight to her room. While she didn't need as much sleep as other races, she always felt better after a long rest. More alert, even. She took a long shower, basking in the cool water, brushed her teeth and went to bed in only her lingerie.

o.O.o

Most of the crew would be taking shuttles down to Headquarters. Spock had no patience after this mission. To put it flatly, Nibiru had been a fiasco. Kirk had completely violated the Prime Directive to save his life. He was grateful to be alive, but Kirk's decision had been highly illogical. His actions had altered the native's natural evolutionary progression, and action that would have serious impacts on the crew.

For now, he wanted nothing more than to see Zia. He felt guilty at having accepted his fate so readily without considering the affect upon her, given the influence he had over her. His reliance upon another being shocked him, but Kirk was sympathetic to his dilemma. His Captain knew of Spock's pain from losing Vulcan and his mother and he provided support when Spock was on missions. They were quite good friends already.

Spock stepped onto the Transporter pad and remained still while Scotty beamed him down to the Academy gates. It was dark. He reached out for Zia's mind, but felt only low activity. She was sleeping. Crossing to her wing, he came across no one. It was strange to have some degree of privacy after a month on the _Enterprise._ Something bubbled in his stomach, akin to anticipation, and he fought the sudden urge to run. He wasn't sure about these spontaneous feelings that came with Zia Abbott, if they were good or bad. Shaking his head, he entered the door combination and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. It was dark, as expected, and he could see the shape of Zia lying on her side. His stomach leapt when he saw that Tara's bed was empty.

Careful not to make a sound, he took off his boots, long pants and long-sleeved blue shirt. Now he was dressed only in his loose black shorts. He stepped carefully up to her bed and pulled the sheet back. His breathing stopped.

She was wearing only a light-blue bra and panties. Awareness flooded his body and he forced it down, his breathing becoming ragged. He couldn't afford to be experiencing these emotions. Once he got his body under control, he slid into the bed behind her and pulled her close to him. The sensation of her bare skin against his was distracting, but he would keep under control when in such an intimate situation. He'd only slept in the same bed with her once before, when she was still plagued by nightmares, but back then she couldn't illicit this strong a response from him. That was because he was still bonded with T'Pring.

It was wrong to think of her in a time like this, as it effectively quelled his racing heartbeats. T'Pring and he had been bonded since they were children, and he'd known for a long time that she preferred another. In a way, it was a relief that she'd perished along with Vulcan, but it was inhumane to be pleased about that. Their bond was the only reason he had not pursued a relationship with Zia before then. His father had informed him of her death mere hours after the destruction of Vulcan, which was when he'd come clean about his feelings for Zia. It was illogical, and completely prohibited (as he was still her professor at the time), but he hadn't checked himself.

Her hips wiggled, grinding into his. She let out a deep breath and he held his. He closed his eyes and buried his face in her hair, pushing aside all thoughts, focusing on the buzzing of her dreams that came with the mind-meld. That calmed him and allowed him to drift to sleep.

o.O.o

Wandering into consciousness slowly was quite pleasant. She lay on top of something extremely warm and comfortable, steady beats thumping against hers, just under her lungs. Grunting, she adjusted her position and settled down further, complete contentment filling her entirely. As she became more aware, she realised that she was lying on who could only be Spock. He was back! Who else would be lying with her in bed?

She slowly opened her eyes and found his sleeping face, suddenly becoming mindful of their intimacy right now. They were so very close together. She ran her eyes over the bed, seeing how he was lying on his back, both arms out, and she was sprawled on top of him. From the waist down they were covered by sheets. It looked like something from a romance movie, funnily enough.

"Good morning," she whispered, kissing his chest.

He grunted. "I see you've been sleeping well."

"Yeah," she agreed, snuggling further into him. _I would love more mornings like this, _she thought to herself. "So how was your mission?"

"It was less than adequate," Spock sighed. "Captain Kirk disobeyed the Prime Directive and allowed the natives of Nibiru to see the _Enterprise_. Their natural evolution has been irrevocably altered."

"Why would he do that? He'd have to have a very good reason."

He was silent for several long seconds. "The planet was undergoing a volcanic eruption. I made the decision to insert a cold-fusion device into the centre of the volcano, and was trapped inside when the distance between the _Enterprise _and me became too far. In order to save my life, Captain Kirk flew the ship in view of the natives."

Zia didn't have to say that she was glad Kirk had disobeyed the Prime Directive. She knew Spock could sense her relief, just as she could sense his. Since she was the only one he couldn't keep secrets from, she was the only one who knew of his liberation at being saved. He was grateful to Kirk, but his own disapproval kept it a secret. "Remind me to thank Kirk," she grinned. Spock rolled his eyes and pulled her over for a kiss. She savoured the softness of his lips and basked in the electricity that surged through her body. Just a kiss sent goose bumps running up her spine.

"I will do no such thing," he murmured, lying back down. She rested her head on his chest and closed her eyes, enjoying his closeness.

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Why?" she muttered angrily, pulling away from Spock and slapping her alarm. He laid there, his hair mussed, looking totally confused.

"What is the matter?" he asked, sitting up.

"I've got work in an hour," she grated, slapping her face in annoyance. "Why today, of all days?" And why couldn't she go back to ten seconds before and that wonderful companionship they were enjoying?

"Allow me to accompany you," he said briskly, standing and stretching. She took a second to admire his masculine form before she stood and got ready for work. It took roughly ten minutes for her to get dressed in the bathroom, brush her hair, and moisturise her legs. Spock was outside when she was ready and held out his hand.

They walked through campus holding hands, not coming across anyone. Instead of talking they just enjoyed each other's presence and thought back to the days when they were just cadet and professor, before they'd realised their feelings. Those times seemed amusing now. The sun had risen fully by the time they reached the restaurant for the morning shift.

"I'll see you later," she smiled, pecking his lips.

"I think I may stop for a meal before I write my report," he said calmly. Her smile widened and she showed him inside before heading for the locker room. Spock was seated at the bar awaiting his order to be taken and his face lit up when she approached him.

"What'll it be?" she asked formally.

"Two gespar rolls and one landras blend, please," he requested, staring into her eyes. They were in a very unprofessional trance.

"Oh wow!" They both turned and were faced by an Orion woman. "He is extremely gorgeous."

"Spock," Zia sighed, "this is Jamie, a fellow waitress. Jamie, this is my boyfriend Spock."

"I'm so pleased to meet you," Jamie gushed, shaking his hand. "Pixie here has spoken nothing but praise about you."

"I trust she has," he said good-naturedly, letting go of her hand. Jamie turned to Zia, her face split by a huge grin.

"Keep him Pixie, he's gold," she ordered.

"Sure thing Jamie," Zia chuckled. "Come on, we've got work to do." She went to the kitchen, relayed Spock's order and walked back to the bar with his breakfast in hand.

"Why does she call you 'Pixie'?" Spock asked, taking the plate and glass from her.

"A pixie is a creature from Earth mythology with delicate features and pointed ears," she sighed, "and Vulcans look a bit like pixies, so Jamie calls me Pixie."

Concern shadowed his face. "Am I to be subjected this name?"

"Oh no, you're much too macho." Zia touched his hand and grinned before heading out to the rest of her tables to take the orders.

o.O.o

He'd been an idiot for thinking that Kirk would tell the truth and jeopardise his command on the _Enterprise_. Now he'd been reassigned to another ship, and that wasn't something he'd particularly wanted.

The day after his arrival back on Earth he'd been called to Admiral Pike's office along with Kirk to discuss their mission reports. Needless to say, Kirk had lied, and now Spock was stuck as First Officer on the _Bradbury_. He wasn't going to complain out loud, but he had to get away from everyone for a day.

So he wound up opening Zia's door, marching in and wrapping his arms around her.

"Uh, what's up?" she asked in confusion, dropping the box she'd been holding.

"I have been transferred to another ship as First Officer," he informed her stiffly.

"Oh Spock," she sighed, running her hands through his hair. He buried his face into her shoulder, sheer disappointment crashing down upon him. "Let's get out of here."

"A commendable idea," he told her, pulling away. "Let us go on a trip. I do enjoy visiting museums."

"As do I," Zia agreed. "Come on; let's go."


	3. Everything Takes a Turn for the Worse

Yippee it's holidays! After that round of exams, a holiday is more than welcome.

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker, **my awesome beta, for giving me pointers to complete this chapter! Oh, and memory-alpha for introducing me to the Betazoids. They're a pretty cool race.

o.O.o

**Chapter 3 – Everything Takes a Turn for the Worse**

Zia thought she looked decent in her maroon cadet uniform, black purse and boots, her hair tied up in a bun. However she did feel conspicuous because of her slanted eyebrows and pointed ears. Spock would be feeling it too, like he always did on Earth. Even he didn't understand why Vulcans were such an interest to humans and other races.

Glancing to her left, she admired how handsome he looked in his Starfleet Officer's uniform, complete with the hat. He looked every bit the regal man that he was. _There's no way I could have ensnared such a wonderful man, _she thought. A smirk played around his lips and she was tempted to smack him playfully, but that wasn't their style.

They reached the Museum of Intergalactic Artefacts and went in without even thinking about it. "I've only been here once before," she told him, "and I didn't even get to see everything. There's just so much stuff to look at."

"As it includes artefacts from many different races, it is logical to have much space for it all to reside," Spock promptly answered.

"Have you been here before?"

"Only twice before and it was to meet with others."

"Oh, so you've taken tons of girls on dates to this very museum?" She raised an eyebrow.

"I did not imply that, I merely meant…" he trailed off. "You are not being serious."

"No," she laughed. "Come on, let's go and chill at some exhibits."

They received a lot of weird looks from other people at the museum. It wasn't often that two Vulcans – one in an Officer's uniform and the other a cadet – walked around together, as it was profiling that their race stayed on their home planet for their whole life. That was so not true! Zia was sick and tired of the looks she received. Sometimes they were downright hostile.

For the next four hours they were in the museum looking at artefacts. There were artefacts from countless different planets, and none from Vulcan, surprisingly. Spock informed Zia that all Vulcan artefacts on Earth or any other planet had been reclaimed and taken to New Vulcan to assist in 'culturing' the race more. It made sense, since they'd lost important historical records in places like the Katrik Ark and a lot of Vulcan historical sites.

It was getting dark when they left. They strolled along the harbour, the sea breeze ruffling their hair. She took a deep breath of the invigorating gusts and allowed Spock to lead her to a small harbour café where they could eat.

"Allow me to pay," he said, holding out her chair. She hung her purse on the back of the chair and sat. He took his seat opposite her and glanced over the menu.

A waiter approached, PADD in hand. "Do you wish to place an order?" he asked.

"Yes please," Zia said warmly, handing over her menu. "Could I please have a potato salad, terellian pheasant and one N'gaan?"

"And may I please have Leola root stew and one Chateau Cleon?" Spock asked, handing over his menu.

"Your meals shall be served shortly," the waiter explained. "Do you wish for a dessert menu after you have eaten dinner?"

They exchanged a look. "That will not be necessary," Spock replied. The waiter left and they stared out at the ocean. It was quite a beautiful view, especially since the sun was casting an orange glow over the entire area. Their food was brought to them and they began to eat leisurely.

"What do you think will become of Kirk?" Zia asked.

"He has been sent back to the Academy," Spock informed her. "If he had not lied we would not be in this predicament. Surely he should know of the Vulcan aversion of lying. Even you are uncomfortable with the prospect of telling an outright lie."

"That is true," she agreed, cutting up her pheasant.

"It is frustrating," he admitted.

"That's understandable, seeing as you were punished for telling the honest truth. You were in danger, and Kirk saved your life. Granted, he influenced the evolution of Nibiru, but it's better than letting them all die. You had the power to save an entire race of people and you took it. I'm sure your superiors wouldn't want that blood on their hands."

He pursed his lips. "I do not understand how they are closed-minded about the entire issue. We saved countless lives yesterday. The only complication is allowing the natives to see us, and that makes the entire thing more difficult. If the _Enterprise_ had not been seen then we would not be in this predicament." He rubbed his face and sipped his stew. "It was not right to expose the natives to technology beyond their understanding, and yet it was not right to let them die."

"Well, it was either disobey a rule, or save a few thousand lives. There's really no question about it. On the plus side, your life was saved too!" She smiled and the corners of his mouth twitched.

"I do not believe my life is more important that the few thousand I saved." He shook his head.

"It's more important to me," she said softly, holding out her hand over the table. He took it and squeezed gently. They ate the rest of their meal in silence and he paid once they were finished.

Now they continued to walk along the harbour, the salty breeze wafting over their heads. Spock's hair looked quite attractive when it was mussed, Zia thought. She respected the position he had been in on Nibiru, and wished there was something she could do to get him back onto the _Enterprise_. The Starship was where he was happy and he loved the people there: Kirk, McCoy, Chekov, Sulu, and Uhura. He and Kirk were especially close.

Spock's communicator, tucked in his pocket, began to ring incessantly. He answered it, all business-like. "Yes Admiral, right away." He closed the communicator. "An emergency assembly is being held for Captain's and First Officer's. I must attend."

"It's a good thing we're not that far away," she nodded as they left the harbour. "You hurry to that meeting; I can find my own way back to the Academy."

He kissed her lightly and left at a jog. She watched him go, his mask slipping back into place, but she still felt the trust in that moment they'd shared.

o.O.o

"Pixie, you're not getting paid for this work," Jamie told her.

"I know," Zia replied, wiping up another glass. "I want to do it. Spock's at an emergency assembly and I have some time to kill before he's done. Hey presto, here I am!"

Jamie shook her head and dumped another tray of washed glasses on the counter. The restaurant had closed a short time ago and the waitresses were still there cleaning up. Zia had volunteered her time to wipe up glasses while the others cleaned the rest of the space.

"Did you have fun with him?" Jamie asked. She picked up a cloth and began to help Zia wipe glasses.

"Yeah, we went to the Museum of Intergalactic Artefacts, walked along the harbour and had dinner. Then he had to race off to that meeting." She shrugged.

A thoughtful expression crossed Jamie's face. "You know, I've always wondered what it's like to do _it_ with a Vulcan. What's it like?"

Zia stared at her in shock. "Oh no, it's nothing like that!"

"Wait, you guys are pure?!"

"Yes, we are pure. My relationship with him isn't like that at all. Just… please don't pry. It makes me uncomfortable when I'm asked such personal questions." What Zia said was true. When Spock was on Earth they always went on at least one date like they had today – where they held hands and he often kissed her goodnight – and that was as far as they'd gone. It was the Vulcan way. Spock knew what Zia was comfortable with and he didn't stray from that. It only made her love him more.

The Orion rolled her eyes and grabbed Zia's cloth. "I won't pry anymore," she assured the Vulcan, "as long as you go straight back to the Academy. Not getting paid for work is wrong."

"Okay," Zia sighed, "fine. Good night."

"You have a good night too," Jamie grinned. "I'll give you a call tomorrow."

"Why?"

"I need a shopping buddy tomorrow afternoon, and you're it. Not sure what time, hence me calling you."

"Okay, see you tomorrow then."

Zia shouldered her purse and left the restaurant. Even in her cadet uniform it was a warm night. It was probably about midnight. Hopefully Spock's meeting was going as well as an emergency meeting did.

She took a short-cut through a smaller alleyway and chills ran up her spine. Oh, this feeling wasn't good. It was the feeling that she was being followed. She'd felt it quite a few times as a child on her way home from school. This time it was different, a more… nerve-wracking sensation.

Speeding up, she listened and heard two sets of footsteps not far behind, almost perfectly in time with hers to mask the sound. These people were trying to sneak up on her. She kept her ears trained for any other footsteps, but those were the only ones so far. The sounds of a busy street ahead reached her and she sped up even more, keeping her attention everywhere. The people behind her had sped up too.

_Hurry up… hurry up… _she begged. So close… She burst onto the busy street and went right into the crowd, the chills gone. Phew, they weren't following her anymore. However she still kept her eyes and ears out for anything suspicious.

Pain…

Her mind was pierced by a kaleidoscope of colour and emotions. She fell to her knees, crying out, her hands pressed to her forehead. Fear… pain… shock… something had happened to Spock! This was bad, this was very bad.

A voice echoed, but it was outside her head. "Are you okay?"

The kaleidoscope went as soon as it came and she found herself crouched on the ground with a ring of concerned-looking people watching her. "Yeah," she nodded, lowering her hands.

"Your nose is bleeding," one woman commented.

Zia touched her nose and cursed. "I'll be okay," she assured the group. "Thanks anyway." She stood, smiled, and darted to the Academy, her head pounding.

o.O.o

The next morning she woke with her head throbbing and her gut in agony. Plus, she was anxious. Last year when Spock lost control she'd had a nosebleed, and now it had happened again. It couldn't be a coincidence that her nose bled every time Spock went into a rage (which wasn't that often, but enough to worry her). So she pulled on shorts and a t-shirt and hobbled down to the Infirmary, one hand curled around her gut and the other clutching her head. On the holidays there were usually only a handful of cadets from the Medical Academy that stayed back. One of these cadets always manned the Infirmary at any one time in case another cadet had an accident and needed assistance.

"What happened to you?" the cadet asked in shock. Zia sighed with relief that he was in the Infirmary and collapsed onto one of the beds. He rushed over to her and placed his hands on her forehead, closing his eyes. Yeto was a second-year cadet at Starfleet Medical Academy, and he was also a Betazoid. Every time Zia went to the Infirmary for a vaccination he was the one who administered it. In a way, he was_ her_ doctor – mainly because he was the only medical cadet willing to tend to a Vulcan.

"I'm not sure what's going on," she mumbled. "Last night I was walking back to my dorm when Spock felt fear, pain and shock. It was transferred back through the mind-meld, my head felt like it was on fire and my nose started to bleed. It's happened once before, last year when he went on a rage, but since it's happened again I'm a bit concerned."

"You should be," he replied, finishing his telepathic scan. "I'm detecting something erratic in your neural pathways. I'm going to need you to submit to a blood test and a brain scan. Why didn't you go to the Infirmary last time this happened?"

"I just thought it was a result of his emotion," she shrugged, sitting up wearily. "Plus, I had more on my mind then my own problems. It was just after Vulcan had been destroyed."

"That's fair enough," Yeto nodded. He inserted a needle into her shoulder and took a 10ml blood sample. "Okay, I performed your last medical examination six months ago and announced you to have a clean bill of health. Since then, you've been here twice for vaccinations. Am I right?"

"Yes."

Yeto put the blood sample under a scanner. "Whatever's happening is probably recent. And there's something else you should know."

"What?"

"The only brain activity I could detect was yours. I can't find Spock's this time. It's like he's gone quiet, or shut you out. The connection is still there, but there's no information being relayed from either of you to the other. One possibility is that he mind-melded with someone else, or experienced such trauma that it overwhelmed him to the point that his brain shut down your connection to preserve its safety."

"Wait, so there's a blockage in our mind-meld?" Her eyes widened and he pursed his lips in a thin smile.

"That's one way to put it. And I know you're not experienced enough to take down his mental barriers."

"But… we had such a nice time mere hours before this happened," she said desperately. "He can't shut me out!"

Yeto held out his hand. "Come on, I need you to do a brain scan for me. It'll let me know what's wrong."

She took his hand obediently and he led her over to the scanner, where she lay down and allowed him to scan her brain. Once he was done she lay on one of the beds, attempting to force the pain away. She could hear him typing and checking over the information to formulate a result.

"I know what's wrong," Yeto finally announced. "There are actually two different issues, and I'm not sure what's worse."

Knowing him, he would tell her the absolute truth and not be hesitant about it. Betazoids were like that: they always told the truth and were a telepathic race. These traits made Yeto an excellent doctor, but at times he said things a patient didn't want to hear.

"So what's wrong?" she asked tiredly.

Yeto looked almost apologetic. "With the first issue, in your blood sample I detected a rise in estrogen levels."

"What does that mean?" Her confusion was growing.

He swallowed. "The gut pains you are experiencing are a prerequisite to your first menstrual cycle, which will begin in one hour and forty-two minutes."

She blinked in shock. "What? You mean…"

"Yeah: you can have kids as of one hour and forty-two minutes. But that's not all."

What else could there be? She was glad she was lying down; otherwise her legs would have given away "What else is there?"

"The scan showed several blood vessel ruptures in your brain, caused by extreme trauma. That has caused the bleeding nose. This, uh, this trauma is pretty severe. Your brain simply can't handle the pressure. If this happens much more your body won't be able to cope and it will eventually shut down."

_'No, this can't be possible. Tell me he's lying! Spock, don't shut me out!' _"What are you saying? That I'll die if Spock gets angry?"

"Pretty much, yeah," he sighed, his lips pressed in a thin line again. "The first time this happened your brain healed itself, so it wasn't detected on any examinations. However the previous ruptures were just opened again and haven't healed yet. The more this happens, the bigger the ruptures will get until the damage is permanent." He bowed his head. "I'm sorry."

No, no, no, no, no. "Is there anything I can take?"

"There's Lexorin," he offered, racing to one of the medical cabinets and rummaging around. "It'll help in the short-term for about a year until your body works up immunity. This will strengthen your body to allow it to cope with the mental pressures. Take one shot every month and it'll alleviate the symptoms."

"Is there anything for the long-term?" she asked desperately. This couldn't be happening. No, there was no way.

"There is one thing, but you won't like it." Yeto looked just as desperate as her.

Zia met his gaze. "Tell me." He took a deep breath.

"Break the mind-meld."


	4. How to Break the News

Good evening to all. Winter's next month and it's going to get really chilly, so Zia's lucky it's summer where she is. The irony is that it was summer when I wrote _Starfleet Academy_, and the story took place in winter.

Yesterday my brother and I mused about what it would be like to live in a world with minimum gravity, minimum friction, minimum inertia and minimum kinetic energy. We reasoned that we would leap around like John Carter, vehicles wouldn't exist and we'd sit on the ceiling to do work. It's actually a fascinating topic when you think about it. The world's completely different!

A huge thank you to my beta **MoreColourfulMoniker **for awesome betaing and insightful comments! You've helped my work so much and I am truly grateful!

o.O.o

**Chapter 4 – How to Break the News**

This was turning out to be the worst day she'd ever experienced. First, she'd begun her menstrual cycle and the specialised absorbent panties she'd had to buy weren't the most comfortable things to wear. Second, Spock had gone quiet and she couldn't find out what was wrong. Third, the best thing that had ever happened to her was also killing her. Fourth, she was dying. Fifth, she didn't know how to tell her parents.

"When's this friend of yours supposed to show up?"

"Any minute now, don't worry."

Zia and Jamie sat on one of the benches outside the theatre. They were an odd couple to anyone passing – a pixie-like Vulcan and a drop-dead gorgeous Orion – and the men glanced at Jamie more than was polite.

"Hey!"

They glanced up and Zia smiled as she saw Blair walking up to join them.

"I'm glad you made it," Zia sighed, standing. "Blair, this is Jamie, a woman a work with. Jamie, this is Blair, a good friend from the Academy."

"It's nice to meet you." Jamie beamed her vivacious smile at Blair, who copped it full-force. He blinked once and held out his hand.

"Blair Turon," he nodded. She shook his hand and grinned at Zia.

"I take it he has his heart set on another woman," Jamie said casually. "I can tell by how wary he is of me. Rest assured my friend, I won't pull my pheromones out on you."

He cracked a smile. "Thank you."

They must look even weirder now: a Vulcan, an Orion and a Bolian. It was especially weird since most of Earth's population were humans and different races were always interesting. Jamie stood and crossed to an electronic poster-screen stuck on the theatre wall.

"Hey Pixie, check out these movie lists for next month!" she exclaimed, scrolling down the screen. Both Zia and Blair joined her.

**_Not Without My Latinum_**_ – Five Ferengi are thrown into a dangerous game of trickery and deceit, but only the winner takes all._

"That'll probably be a mystery," Jamie said thoughtfully.

"There'll be drama and action too," Blair pointed out, "and a lot of petty jealousy since there is Ferengi in it. What's the next one?"

**_Trouble With Tribbles_**_ – What begins as an ordinary day in space quickly morphs into a dire situation when a group of pesky Tribbles sneak aboard a Starship._

"This one should be good!" the Orion laughed.

"Tribbles are so cute and cuddly," Blair agreed. "The next one sounds interesting."

**_Ode To Space _**_– Tulu Kalvin makes a comeback in this family flick filled with action, drama, song, and dance._

"It doesn't have anything about the plot," Zia complained. "Anything could happen!"

"That's the whole point!" Jamie grinned.

**_When on Risa _**_– Two Starfleet pilots travel to Risa on shore leave, only to become suspects of the murder of a fellow crewmember._

"Ooh, I really like the sound of this one. I've always wanted to go to Risa," Jamie sighed. "That's a really short movie list for this month. There's normally about eight."

"Well this time there's four and the last one is a crime. It says 'two Starfleet pilots' and they could be male and female, so it could be a romance." Blair shrugged. "So what are we doing today? Zia just said we were hanging out."

"Oh it's more than that," Jamie said dramatically. "We're visiting some of the major designers, trying on dresses and buying ones that make us look hot!" She smirked. "You bored yet?"

Blair tilted his head. "I suppose this would be a good experience. If I ever go dress-shopping with Tara I'd want to know what type of dresses look good."

"What does Tara look like?" Jamie asked.

Zia decided to explain, as Blair would probably go over-the-top. "She's got dark brown skin, silky black hair, she's tall, has a muscular shape and yellow looks good on her."

"Colours like yellow, green, blue, and generally any light colours would look good on her. Zia, colours like any shade of blue, probably pink, a bit of purple and light green would look good. Wear red with that auburn hair and you'd definitely ooze male appeal. Blair… darker colours, black and white would suit you, but do _not_ go for really loose clothes. I can tell you're muscular and that's something you should show off."

Blair glanced down at his loose pants and too-big t-shirt. "Do I need new stuff?"

"If you want some I'll get you some," Zia told him. "I've earned plenty of money and I haven't had a spending spree in a long time."

Their first shop was _Eden's Male and Female General Wear_. Zia browsed through the database, putting together outfits and finding some cute combinations. There was a pair of light-blue skinny jeans matched with a light-green singlet top and brown ankle-boots. She also liked the cream dress with pink, blue and green flowers, matched with pink sandals. Possibly the nicest combination was the pale pink singlet top with a white denim skirt and white knee-high boots. Each of those combinations got positive feedback from her friends.

Blair had found several plain shirts, either black or white, that were tight across his chest. At Jamie's insistence, he'd decided to buy them. He also got some long pants and jeans that hugged his muscular form, as well as thick boots. As well as that, there were some leather bracelets he decided would suit his new look. When he walked out of the changing room in dark jeans, a tight white shirt and several leather bracelets on his right wrist, Jamie shrieked with delight.

As for the Orion, she bought a few dresses that made her look classy and absolutely beautiful. That woman could do any piece of clothing justice. She could even rock a muumuu!

None of the other shops compared to the first one they visited. They didn't get many clothes, but the ones they got were fantastic. Zia was able to get her hair cut to her shoulders and Jamie refused to have her long, luscious red hair touched by a hairdresser. Blair, of course, had no hair to speak of.

Then it was time to have lunch. The trio bought hamburgers, potato chips, a lemonade for Blair, an iced coffee for Zia, and gin for Jamie. They sat at the harbour with their legs dangling over the edge, eating their food.

"You're a real lady-killer now Blair," Jamie announced. "I hope this Tara sees what she can have."

"So do I," he sighed. Zia wanted to smile. He and Jamie had hit it off quite well. But as much as she wanted to be happy hanging out with them, she couldn't. She had the weight of her condition sitting right on her shoulders and she couldn't even consult Spock about it. So she ate her food and drank her iced coffee while feigning good humour and happiness. As soon as she got back to her room she had people to call.

o.O.o

The door was shut and she crossed her room, dialling her communicator furiously. It began to ring and was answered after five seconds.

_"Hello?"_

"Tara! It's Zia!"

_"Hey! I didn't expect to hear from you."_

"Well, it's important."

_"Hold on for a sec. BREE! Stop shouting! Yes, I'm talking to a friend. Just get out of the room. Yes. Please. Okay. Sorry Zia, what were you saying?"_

"I've got a huge problem and I really need your advice."

_"Fire away."_

"The mind-meld between myself and Spock, it's literally killing me. If I remain melded to him I'll die."

There was a pause. _"You're not kidding. Have you seen a doctor?"_

"That's how I found out about the problem. Every time Spock loses control, blood vessels in my brain rupture and they'll get larger as time goes on. Eventually it'll be too much for my brain to handle and I'll die."

_"How many times has he lost control?"_

"Only twice, but that was enough to land me in some deep trouble. Yeto gave me Lexorin for the time-being, but I don't know what to do."

_"Have you spoken to Spock?"_

"He shut me out and I can't communicate with him. He's not picking up his communicator and I don't know where he is. I'm really worried."

_"Maybe his shutting you out is a defence mechanism, given the trauma that your brain has undergone."_

Zia groaned. "But I have no idea how to take care of it! I don't have the training."

_"I'm sorry. That's all I can suggest at this time. Give me some time to chat with my parents and I'll call you back tomorrow, okay?"_

"Okay. Thank you Tara."

_"Talk to you tomorrow."_

Tara hung up and Zia collapsed on her bed, tears streaming down her face. This was awful. It could be her fault that they couldn't communicate, and she wasn't a telepath by any stretch. No, no, no, no, no. What could she do? Her communicator was calling again, but this time to people she loved more than anyone.

_"Zia, honey, how are you?"_

"I wish I could say I was good mum, but I can't. Actually, that's why I'm calling."

_"Did Spock break up with you?"_

"What? No!"

_"Are you pregnant?"_

"Wha- mum! No!"

_"What's the problem?"_

Zia took a deep breath and braced herself, "Mymind-meldwithSpockistakingitstollonmybrainandifIdon'tdosomethingaboutitthenI'mgoingtodie."

_"Uh, you spoke too fast. I didn't get any of that."_

It was bad enough saying it once, but twice? "My mind-meld with Spock is taking its toll on my brain and if I don't do something about it then I'm going to die."

_"NO!" _Giana screamed. _"You cannot be serious!"_

"Mum," Zia whispered, her voice shaking, "I'm being serious. I've got ruptured blood vessels in my brain to prove it. If I don't break the mind-meld, I'll probably die the next time Spock loses control."

_"Then break the meld! I'm not losing my little girl!"_

"That's the thing! I don't know how and I can't get into contact with Spock."

Patty's voice came over the communicator. _"I'll find a way to talk to him!"_

"No! Dad, I can take care of it myself. I was going to try contacting some of his friends to see what's going on."

_"Honey, do that right now!"_

"Okay dad. I'll let you know what happens."

_"You better."_

Her parents hung up and Zia's hand dropped from her ear wearily. This couldn't be happening. It just couldn't. She couldn't give up the best thing that had ever happened to her, she just couldn't. Her current psychological status was owed to the mind-meld. She swallowed, her mouth dry, and dialled her final number, placing the communicator at her ear. They picked up after ten rings.

_"Hello?"_

"Uhura, its Zia."


	5. Vengeance Crashes

It's Friday and time for another chapter! Remember those movie titles from the last chapter? _Not Without my Latinum, Trouble with Tribbles, Ode to Space _and _When on Risa_? Those will become their own short story labelled _Zia and Spock's Movie Marathon_ because I thought they were great ideas that deserved their own telling.

My thanks to my beta **MoreColourfulMoniker **for being awesome!

o.O.o

**Chapter 5 – Vengeance Crashes**

The ship was zooming toward Kronos as fast as possible. Spock itched in the jacket, but refused to scratch. It had been a hectic day. The meeting had been attacked, Pike had been killed, and now they were on a mission to capture the man responsible.

"I am detecting a single life-sign in the Cathin province," he told Kirk, "Given the information provided by Mister Scott, this is most likely John Harrison."

"Mister Sulu," Kirk said, "I think we found our man. You let him know you mean business."

_"Aye, Captain."_

As Sulu said his message, the ship travelled through Kronos' upper atmosphere. Spock thoroughly agreed with Kirk's decision to subdue Harrison instead of obliterate him, and this mission would be a welcome one if Uhura hadn't been ignoring him almost the entire time. When she didn't ignore him, she glared. He didn't understand her behaviour.

"We will arrive at Harrison's location in three minutes, Captain," Spock announced. "It is unlikely he will come willingly. I calculate the odds of him attempting to kill us at 91.6%."

"Fantastic," Kirk muttered.

"Good thing you don't care about dying," Uhura said quietly. That was confusing.

Spock turned his head in her direction. "I am sorry Lieutenant; I could not hear what you were-"

"Oh, I didn't say anything," she said, anger evident in her voice. "Actually, I'd be happy to speak if you're willing to listen to me."

"Lieutenant, I do not know what you speak of."

"That's odd, because you should. When you were in that volcano you just accepted death without any thought to the repercussions, what it would do to Zia if you died, Spock. You don't realise just how much she relies on you. It's like you don't care."

"Your suggestion that I do not care about dying is incorrect. A sentient beings optimal chance at maximising their utility is a long and prosperous life."

"It's not exactly a love song, Spock," Kirk commented.

"You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything upon realising that my own life was ending. As Admiral Pike was dying, I joined with his consciousness, and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger… confusion… loneliness… fear. I had experienced those feelings before; multiplied exponentially on the day my planet was destroyed. Such a feeling is something I choose never to experience again. Lieutenant, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring for her, while I assure you: the truth is precisely the opposite."

Uhura turned around in her chair. "Spock, just before we left Earth on this mission I received a call from her. She said that you've blocked her out and she can't get hold of you at all. She was panicked, and upset, and said something about your melding. Her voice was so shaky that I couldn't get a straight answer from her. Why did you block her out?"

"It was not intentional. I would break down the barrier if I was back on Earth, but I am not. This mission must be successfully completed before I can allow myself to become distracted by personal issues."

At that moment their ship was fired upon. Spock felt panic at the suddenness of the attack, but it was joined by a new worry. Zia didn't just call to see how he was. She would only call if something awful had occurred. But he had to push the worry aside and focus on the mission. He could only think about it later.

o.O.o

Zia was nervous.

She'd never seen to Spock Prime before, let alone spoken to him. Yet here she was, sitting in her room with his face on her PADD. So this was what Spock would look like when he was a hundred years old. He wouldn't actually look that bad.

"Hello," she said nervously.

"Miss Abbott," Spock Prime said warmly. "It is wonderful to meet you."

"Same here," she nodded, swallowing.

"It is strange," he mused, "as in my reality we never met. I trust I am treating you well."

"Sort of…"

"Am I not acting properly?"

"Oh, it's not you. I actually called to ask how I can become telepathic."

"Did you not receive the proper training on Vulcan?"

She hesitated. "I, um, I was raised on Earth by humans. The only Vulcan training I have, was provided by you last year. When I was a child I was bullied relentlessly by other children and I suffered from awful nightmares and sleep-walking until you decided to teach me the Vulcan way. I'm better now, but another problem has arisen. Before we even began my training you and I mind-melded, which was a good idea at the time, but it's having a bad effect on me now."

He nodded. "You do not have melding experience and it is taking its toll on your mind. How far are you into the issue?"

"Blood vessels in my brain have ruptured twice, and each time it was when you lost control." She winced. "I apologise for referring to him as 'you'. It's just more natural."

"I understand," he nodded. "Your brain cannot cope with the emotional load due to your inexperience."

"That's exactly right. What's worse is that you've put up a mental barrier to block me and I do not know how to get rid of it. I was hoping that you could assist in teaching me the basics on how to become a telepath, so I can better cope with it all. The other option is to break the meld, which I don't want to do."

"Have you used Lexorin to alleviate your symptoms?"

"Yes, I had a shot yesterday."

He sighed heavily. "I regret to say that I cannot aid you from here. The most effective way to build mental control and telepathic abilities is to meld with an individual who can teach you. Once I return to Earth from my mission, you must request to mind-meld in order to hone your telepathic abilities. You must do this soon, as blood vessel ruptures in the cranial area do not heal quickly and often affect other areas of the brain if not treated immediately."

"So, you can't help me?"

"I cannot, but my alternate self can."

Zia's face fell. She'd been hopeful that some meditation and focus would work, but apparently she was wrong. It sucked, because she didn't know when Spock would be back. How she was missing him in her head.

"Thank you, anyway," she said softly, choking back tears.

Spock Prime smiled gently and stared at her with eyes full of wisdom. "Place your trust in me. I know myself well enough to know that I will do whatever is necessary to save your life. For now, rest, and I am sure that I will return soon."

She didn't trust herself to speak, instead just nodding and allowing him to end the call. Once the screen was black, she lay on her bed, tears welling in her eyes. Sleeping last night had helped to heal her brain and most of the pain was gone, but she couldn't say the same for her gut. It was throbbing relentlessly and she hated the moist feeling. Also, the thought of being able to bear children just freaked her out more than she cared to admit.

On the other side of her room, her communicator went off like a bell. She dived for it and brought it up to her ear. "Hello?"

_"Hey! It's Tara. I've spoken to my parents and they suggested the Lexorin. As far as they know there's nothing else to treat such things, especially if instigated by a mind-meld."_

Her face fell even further. "Thank you anyway."

_"Hey, don't be sad. I'll be back in three weeks when the holidays are over and then we can sort this out."_

"Hopefully Spock will be back before then and he can take down the barrier and increase my telepathic abilities."

Tara chuckled. _"I really miss you and Blair. You're my closest friends. I've been hanging out with other friends from high school and I'm annoyed about how simple-minded they are. You're both _so_ much more intelligent! I really miss our chats and stuff."_

"We miss you too," Zia said softly, sitting back down on her bed. She grunted. "I've begun my first menstrual cycle."

_"But you're, like, twenty. I thought you already had it. I got mine when I was thirteen."_

"With Vulcans it's different. I really don't like it."

_"Get used to it sister. You're gonna be alive for hundreds of years, so it's something you have to learn to deal with." _Tara burst out laughing. _"Now I'll easily be able to predict your mood swings! They always coincide with the menstrual cycle."_

Zia refrained from mentioning that the blood was green. "I don't have mood swings."

_"You sure do! I could never be sure, but now I can. We need to talk about this in more depth when holidays are over. I'll give you little tips and tricks to help you deal with it in the future."_

"That would be awesome," she replied gratefully. In that moment the floor began to rumble. Her PADD fell from the bed and an empty glass slipped from her desk and smashed.

_"What's happening?"_

"I don't know. Give me a second." She rolled to the other side of the bed and picked up her PADD, loading the Web. It was quick work to find a news station that was currently broadcasting. "Hey Tara, apparently a ship has fallen from orbit and has just crashed into the other side of San Francisco." The ground stopped rumbling and the wardrobe toppled over. BANG! Zia squeaked and crawled under her bed. "That was the wardrobe falling."

_"Why the hell would a ship crash into San Francisco? Do they have any pictures?"_

She pulled her PADD under the bed with her. "It's big and black. Wow, that's a lot of damage. It says here that the ship hit the east side and skid for miles." Gulp. "It was heading right for Starfleet Headquarters, judging by its path. It would have crushed the Academy and me with it."

_"Holy… I sure am glad I'm not there. You okay?"_

"I'm fine. I wonder if Spock has anything to do with this. Uhura did say they were tracking down a criminal and bringing him to Earth for trial. Something might have gone wrong."

_"I find the likelihood of that very slim. Hey, I've got a similar report on my PADD. There's a picture of the side and it's called the…"_

"It's called the _Vengeance_," Zia finished. "Wow, it is huge! That can't be a regulation Starship. It's way too big."

_"That is strange. Hold up, let me ask my parents." _Tara put down her communicator and Zia waited patiently on the other end. She rolled over into a more comfortable position and peered out from underneath her bed. Dust could clearly be seen floating outside her window and now the screams made their way to her ears. _"They agree with me. I'll bet whoever owned that ship was a rogue agent."_

"Okay," Zia nodded. "I'm going to go out and help bring in wounded."

_"Wait-"_

"You can't hear their screams from here. People are hurt and I can help them. I'll talk to you later."

_"Okay, see you."_

Zia switched off her communicator and crawled out from under her bed. She quickly changed into long-sleeved clothes and ran from the Academy as fast as her legs could carry her. What she saw was devastating.

The _Vengeance _was only two blocks away. It had come to a complete stop not long after crashing, but had done a lot of damage before that could occur. People ran the streets, panicked and screaming. No one was stopping to help the injured people lying in the streets. Zia bolted up the two blocks and as close to the ship as she dared. Starfleet officers had completely blocked off access to the ship, but she didn't care about that. A young boy and girl lay trapped under a park bench, both of them knocked out cold. Zia knelt down and used her Vulcan strength to pull it off them. She strained and grunted, and it came free.

"Yes!" she hissed, reaching in for the children. Before picking them up, she checked their bodies for breaks and sprains. The boy had a broken arm and the girl a dislocated shoulder. Ever so slowly, she inched both of them free from the wreckage and gathered them in her arms. People were still screaming as she raced through the streets to Starfleet Headquarters. The Infirmary would be overflowing, she knew, but the public hospitals would be even worse, given they were closer. As she passed by other injured people, she shouted orders at others to help them. Eventually she was heading for Headquarters with a dozen people following her, each of them laden with injured.

The panic was subsiding and awareness was crashing in. Injured were being treated and Ambulances filled the streets, their sirens blaring. Dust coated everyone. Bodies were being pulled from rubble and cries of loss echoed through the air. Zia blocked it all out, focussing on the two children cradled in her arms.

She burst into the packed Infirmary, the others right behind her. The hallways were filled with voices of patients and uninjured people.

"Yeto!" she shouted. He would hear her, she knew. His Betazoid super-sense made sure of that. Why hadn't Betazoids become Starfleet doctors before? They really were the best as assessing the conditions of their patients.

He came bounding up, his scrubs streaked with blood. "Take them to Emergency Room 90," he ordered. "Hey Doc, we've got injured here!" Three doctors came with hovering gurneys and took as many injured as possible. Zia turned to the others who had followed her, still holding onto the children.

"Go find more injured," she pleaded. "They need help."

"Yes ma'am," one man nodded. The rest followed him out of the hospital and Zia carried the two children to the turbolift, waiting tensely for the waiting line to move along. Three… two… one… she darted into the lift and pressed Emergency Room 90. The hallways were hectic! She squeezed past a doctor with a hovering gurney and checked the door numbers. 87… 88… 89…

90.

Breathing a sigh of relief, she adjusted her hold on the children and waved her hand over the panel. It opened and she rushed through, laying them down on the nearest bed. Two other children lay on the other side of the room, a doctor tending to them. The woman looked incredibly frazzled.

"No," she sighed, "not more children. Those blasted idiots." Zia stepped back and allowed the doctor to approach the children.

"The boy has a broken arm and the girl has a dislocated shoulder," the Vulcan explained. "They were trapped under a bench."

"Thank you," the doctor breathed. "Can you help me set the bones in his arm?"

Zia nodded and gently placed her fingers on the boy's wrist and upper arm. The doctor felt all the way along it. "Is it a clean break?"

"Yes. Move it an inch left. Good. Now adjust the angle by thirty degrees… there we go. I'm going to put on a cast. Keep him there."

Obediently, Zia kept the boy's arm in place as the doctor injected a painkiller and wrapped the cast around his arm. Once it was in place, she pulled the seal and it immediately hardened. Then she moved on to the girl and Zia went over to the other children and stared at their sweet, innocent young faces. With a pang of sadness, she realised that she'd never had a sweet, innocent childhood. It was marred by the cruelty of her peers and their insistence of beating her up almost every day. Well, she now knew her strength, so that wouldn't happen anytime soon.

"I've got two more!" Another doctor burst into the room, two children on a gurney, and Zia decided to use her strength to help others.


	6. A Nightmare Begins

Only yesterday did I find out that the next _Star Trek _movie was being released in 2016 (nooooo!) and that 2016 is the 50th year anniversary for the franchise. I can't wait for it to come out; two years is a long time. It's just as bad as waiting a year between all three _Hobbit _movies.

Just a warning, the next chapter amps up the violence. So if you're not a big fan of it then reader discretion is advised. It's nothing extremely bad, as the rating is still T, but you'll understand more when the next chapter is posted.

The introduction to _Zia and Spock's Movie Marathon _plus the first movie will be posted on Wednesday.

Kudos to my beta **MoreColourfulMoniker **for continuing to beta this story, even while on holidays!

o.O.o

**Chapter 6 – A Nightmare Begins**

It had been several hours since the _Vengeance _had crashed. The Infirmary had finally quietened down and the wounded had stopped pouring in. Starfleet was working overtime to sort out the whole thing, but Zia couldn't care less.

She sat in one of the corridors with Yeto, completely exhausted. They had no energy left from the afternoon of seeing to the injuries' of others.

"You did well," Yeto said tiredly. "Thank you for lending us your strength."

"People were injured," Zia replied simply. An old man connected to a drip ambled past, assisted by a nurse.

"We couldn't have done it without McCoy, though."

She perked up. "Is he here?"

"Yes and his whole crew. The doctors and nurses aboard his ship all came here to help out, and I believe your boyfriend is here too. Their Captain died and they brought him here for revival."

What? "He's here?"

"Yes. The Captain is in Major Injuries Room 67. He's in a deep coma."

"McCoy told you all this?"

"Why wouldn't he? I'm being groomed for service aboard the _Enterprise_. Doctor McCoy put forth the case to the board and I'm graduating next year, as he claims that I will be an invaluable member to his medical staff. I am inclined to agree with him."

She blinked. "So am I! I'm going into the science division."

Yeto smiled gently. "Come on; let's go see how our future Captain is faring."

They stood and strolled through the hallways to the turbolift, their muscles aching. Yeto typed in the room number and they appeared on the floor. He seemed to know exactly where they were going and opened the door to a room occupied by a single patient, although he had two other people standing at the end of his bed. McCoy and Spock both turned as the door hissed open.

"Yeto, just the person I need to see," McCoy said, all business-like. Not even that could stop her from seeing the redness around his eyes.

The Betazoid crossed to where Kirk lay and placed his hands on his face, closing his eyes. He concentrated on reading Kirk's nervous system and pulled away after several seconds.

"He will wake in approximately fourteen days and five hours," he announced. He glanced at Zia, but she shook her head. She didn't need to worry Spock right now.

"Will he make a full recovery?" Spock asked quietly.

"His body is embracing the healing powers of Khan's blood, so I believe so. He may feel a bit off for a while, but that is normal for someone who has come back from the dead."

McCoy cleared his throat. "Spock, we should go and see what's happening to that bastard. I want to be there for his trial."

"Of course, Doctor," Spock nodded. His eyes were rimmed with green. The two men left the room and Zia watched Spock's retreating form. An ache had formed in her chest. He shouldn't have shut her out.

Yeto stood beside her. "Give him time. He needs to process that Captain Kirk will live and make sure that Khan gets what's coming to him. It's a stressful time for everyone."

"Thank you," Zia sighed. She couldn't wait to get to her room and sleep.

o.O.o

Over the next two weeks, Spock's schedule was full. He was among the thousands of people who were rebuilding the city, as well as overseeing the trial of Khan and the treatment of the _Enterprise_. Scotty claimed that it would take over a year for the Starship to be ready again, especially since the crew was focusing on the city instead of the ship.

The hospitals and infirmaries emptied over the two weeks as patients were cured. Khan was sentenced for cryo-stasis for the remainder of his life. Even better, Kirk would wake in thirty minutes, according to the Betazoid's information.

Things were looking up.

Spock dressed slowly in his apartment. He desperately wanted Kirk to wake up. His Captain's death had affected him more than he cared to admit – it had cut open the wounds that had formed upon the destruction of Vulcan, just as they were beginning to heal. McCoy had been a great source of support, as well as the rest of his crew, but he'd thrown himself into work rather than confront his emotions. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

For the first time in two weeks, Zia crashed into his mind.

He blinked. How had he not thought of her in that time?! Granted, he'd seen her briefly in Kirk's room, so his worry that she was injured was satiated. Yet, he hadn't been able to sense her emotions at all during the last couple weeks. Uhura had been right – he had shut her out. As soon as Kirk awoke, he would seek her out and destroy the barrier. He missed having her in his head. Guilt crashed down as he thought of how she may be feeling. He'd effectively ignored her for over two weeks! This wasn't like a Starfleet mission. He was on Earth, mere blocks away from her, and he hadn't attempted to see her. What kind of boyfriend was he?

Pushing the anger aside, he shook his head. She would understand. Once he told her of the fight, and the brutality of Kirk's death, she couldn't hold anything against him. They were kindred spirits after all, and she knew of the force of his emotions. Please, don't let her reject him…

Suddenly he was marching through the Infirmary towards Kirk's room. He hadn't even registered the trip there, even though it was a fifteen-minute walk. The turbolift took him to where he needed to go and he was walking into Kirk's room. McCoy was already there, dressed in his white Infirmary uniform.

"I'm glad you're here," he said briskly. "Kirk's been unconscious for two weeks and he does need a friendly face." Beside him, Yeto handed him a PADD. Spock quite liked the young Betazoid. He was logical and honest, albeit a bit too honest at times. McCoy glanced at the PADD. "We've got two minutes. Yeto, I'll need you to get some drip-food for him."

"Yes, Doctor." Yeto didn't waste any time and left for the food.

Spock and McCoy stood near the bed, waiting impatiently for Kirk to awaken. The timer on McCoy's PADD was slowly counting down. Forty-nine… forty-eight… thirty-six… twenty-four… twelve… ten… five… four… three… two… one…

Kirk awoke silently. His eyes opened and flicked around the room. Immediately his breathing deepened and his throat constricted from the lack of use. McCoy grabbed his PADD and tricorder and approached the bed, his shoulders shaking with relief. Kirk turned his head and saw him.

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic," McCoy said; his voice scratchy. "You were barely dead. It's the transfusion that really took its toll." Spock watched as he ran his tricorder over Kirk's face. "You were out cold for two weeks."

"Transfusion…?" Kirk asked weakly, squinting up at McCoy.

"Your cells were heavily irradiated; we had no choice."

"Khan…?"

"Once we caught him I synthesised a serum from his 'super-blood'. Tell me, are you feelin', uh, homicidal, power-mad… despotic?"

"No more than usual. How'd you catch him?"

"I didn't." By that time McCoy had completed his examination and stepped back, allowing Spock to approach Kirk.

"You saved my life," Kirk murmured, smiling softly. Spock kept his relief in check, maintaining his stoic posture.

McCoy decided to butt in. "Uhura and I had something to do with it, you know."

Ignoring him, Spock took a deep breath. "You saved my life, Captain, and the lives of the-"

"Spock, just…" Kirk closed his eyes. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, Jim."

o.O.o

Zia was in deep meditation when her consciousness registered the knock on the door. Annoyed, she pulled herself from the blissful, emotionless state and slumped over to the door. All her annoyance evaporated when she opened the door and saw Spock standing there.

"May I come in?" he asked softly.

"Sure." She let him in and closed the door. "What can I do for you?"

"I would like to apologise for my behaviour," he told her, "and offer an explanation. Please, sit."

They sat down on her bed and he explained everything from the moment he left her on the harbour to his knocking on her door mere minutes ago. She didn't speak throughout the entire explanation, but remained open and passive. When he was finished, she covered his hand with her own.

"I'm glad that Kirk's alive," she murmured, "and I know how tough it must have been for you."

He met her eyes and she saw compassion swirling within them. "May I make a request?"

"Yes."

"Will you allow me to re-establish our connection?"

Her face was split by a smile. "Yes!"

Spock nodded and placed his hand on her face. It was easy to spot the barrier, and even easier to break it down. Their minds were joined again, as was the force of their emotions. He managed to keep his in check though, but she wasn't an experienced enough telepath to be able to do that with him. They grieved via emotions yet again, and took the first step towards healing their emotional wounds.

_'I have to say, I really missed this,'_ Zia sighed. She felt the force of his love return and smiled. "Come with me. I have something I need to talk to you about."

The mind-meld was broken, but now she could feel the constant buzz of his emotions. How she had missed this. Spock followed her from her room and across the Academy grounds to a small garden tucked away at the outskirts. She beckoned him and they sat on a bench, hidden from anyone who walked by.

She took his hands. "You need to teach me how to become a telepath."

"That is not possible." He shook his head. "You do not possess the mental strength needed."

"Spock," she said softly, "if you don't, then I'll die."

Their world slowed. "What do you mean?"

"My brain cannot handle the emotional load of a mind-meld. Each time you experience a particularly strong emotion, I don't have the skill to regulate it, and blood vessels burst in my brain. It's happened twice, but if it happens much more it could kill me. So you need to teach me to become a telepath, or else break the mind-meld."

He stared at her, lost for words. It took a moment for him to process it all. "I… do not wish to terminate our relationship, although the most logical course of action is to break the mind-meld. I will do my best to teach you… although it will be a long and arduous process."

She smiled and leant into him. "Thank you, I-"

A sudden pain erupted in her shoulder and she gasped, breaking off her sentence. Spock noticed and peered around her. His eyes widened and Zia saw something silver slam into the side of his neck. The world was becoming fuzzy… She blinked in an attempt to stay awake. What was happening? She groped for Spock's hand, but couldn't find it.

The last thing she saw was a dark shape looming over her.

o.O.o

The two men, dressed in casual clothes, approached the garden.

One man's radio crackled. _"Targets have been neutralised. Move in."_

"Copy that," he replied. The men exchanged glances and slipped into the garden. Both Vulcans were on the ground, fighting to stay awake. He loomed over the female and wrapped his arms under her arms, picking her up and dragging her away from the garden and into the waiting vehicle. His partner had grabbed the male and was struggling to carry him.

"This bastard is heavy," he panted, kneeing the Vulcan in the back in an attempt to grip him tighter. With both Vulcans into the vehicle, he pulled the tranquiliser darts from their necks and secured them with rope. Then he whipped out a modified tricorder and placed it on their arms, sending an electrical charge that fried their transmitters. Two more men clambered into the back, armed with the guns that had shot the tranquilisers.

"Let's get 'em back to base," one smirked. "Someone contact the boss and let him know that we've got some new meat."


	7. Wrath of the Vulcan Hunters

A Happy Easter to everyone for Sunday! All that chocolate... yummy. The first couple chapters to _Zia and Spock's Movie Marathon _have been posted if you're interested._  
_

My thanks to my beta **MoreColourfulMoniker **for the advice for this chapter. Spockifying is really hard.

o.O.o

**Chapter 7 – Wrath of the Vulcan Hunters**

Zia awoke with a gasp, her eyes flying open. She coughed and went to rub her face, only to find that her hands were in bonds. What the hell was going on? She shook her head and glanced around, groaning as she found herself in a room with just a door. Oh, and she was tied to a chair too.

Ouch, her head seriously hurt. So did her shoulder, now that she thought about it… hadn't some sudden pain flared there? She twisted in her seat and was just able to see the puncture wound in her arm. Damn. She had probably been shot by a tranquiliser of some sort. Who would want to shoot her? No one, as far as she knew…

The door slammed open and her eyes flicked up to it. Fear curdled in her stomach but she forced it down.

"I hoped to never see you again," she sighed, slumping back in her chair. Smirking, Dane Caster shut the door and leant against the wall.

"That hurts," he said mockingly. "You know, I've wanted to see you in that chair for quite a few years. I just had to wait until you flew the nest, and then the right opportunity. That damn boyfriend of yours made everything a lot harder." He grinned. "But here we are."

She tilted her head. "What's going on?"

"Allow me to explain." Caster strolled up to the chair and put his boot on the arm, resting his elbow on it leisurely. "I'm a member of a group which call themselves 'Vulcan Hunters'. Your kind is an emotionless plague that humans seem hell-bent on grovelling to, just because you're _so _much smarter. So we've made a pact to exterminate your entire race." A sadistic smile stretched across his face. "The Romulans made our job a whole lot easier."

"You-" Zia strained against her bonds, anger taking over. "What the hell do you do with Vulcans?!"

"That's the best part," Caster grinned. "We torture them, and execute them. I've missed being able to hit someone."

Quick as lightning, his fist backlashed on her jaw. She recoiled and lunged for his hand, teeth bared. He was only just able to pull back his hand before she bit him.

"People will be looking for us," she spat, her voice shaking with rage. "You won't get away with this."

"Wow, you're feistier than I remember!" he laughed. "Thing is, no one is looking for you. They think you're spending some quality time with your boyfriend and they wouldn't want to _disturb _you now, would they?"

Her eyes glittered as she imagined kicking his sorry ass. "Keep going, I dare you. People will find us and you will get your comeuppance. You may have gotten the better of me when I was a child, but not anymore. I'm stronger than I used to be."

"Be as it may, I know _exactly _how much stronger you are. In case you didn't realise, we've been keeping tabs on you for a while, waiting for the right time to strike. Taking the filth into the garden was the perfect opportunity to continue our mission." He tapped her cheek. "It's been a lot harder since the number of Vulcans decreased. They'd notice if one went missing, no matter how discreet we were. But you… you're not an official Vulcan. Neither is your boyfriend. That's what makes you the perfect target!" He laughed maniacally.

"You're insane," she said quietly.

His laughter ended as quickly as it had begun. "Then you're at the mercy of a crazy person. I've been given authority to do whatever I want with you." He leant in close and brushed his nose against hers. "It's too bad you're a Vulcan," he breathed, "or I might actually think you were pretty."

Enraged, she head-butted him with all the strength she could muster. He reeled back, his jaw slack, and blinked in confusion. Her defiance had shocked him and he darted forward, grabbing her face in a hand.

"I'm not going to give in," she stated.

"That's too bad," he sighed. He raised his fist and she reluctantly readied herself for the onslaught.

o.O.o

Spock was jerked into consciousness with a fist to the face. He immediately attempted to defend himself, but discovered that he was tied to a chair. What was going on? Where was Zia?

_'Zia, are you injured?' _he asked desperately, searching for a response. She was silent. He tuned into her emotions and recognised unconsciousness and pain. She must have suffered great pain… and was knocked out somehow. Panic flared.

"Hey: filth!"

He glanced up and another fist hit his face. Coughing, he blinked and peered up at his assailant. It was no one he had seen before. "Who are you?"

"Vulcan Hunters you jerk," the man sneered. "You ain't gettin' outta here alive."

How wrong he was. Spock and Zia were going to get out of this. Immediately he regretted telling Kirk that he was going to spend the next couple days with Zia, and would prefer to be undisturbed. No one would think anything of their disappearance. Talk about awful timing.

The door opened and a familiar person entered, rubbing his knuckles. "She's out cold," Caster smirked. "I messed her up pretty bad. There's that filthy green blood all over the floor."

Rage was overpowering. Spock strained against his bonds. "What have you done with her?"

"I only gave her what was coming to her," Caster grinned. He leant against the chair, his face right up against Spock's. "Time to give you what's coming to you, you stupid stuck-up Vulcan." He moved back and swung a punch, his fist sailing past the air Spock's head had rested in mere milliseconds ago.

"It would not be wise for you to attempt that again."

The other man moved behind Spock, holding his head in place. Caster made to punch again, but Spock flicked his head back and pushed the other man into the wall with a _BANG!_ Caster roared and grabbed Spock's Starfleet uniform.

"You're dead!" he screamed. After a few seconds he seemed to realise something. "Put them in the shielded cells, right next to each other. I want to see how cocky he is then."

o.O.o

"No!"

Spock stared in horror as Zia was dragged into the cell beside his. Caster dumped her down and exited the cell, activating the force shield.

"That look is priceless," Caster sniggered. "Aww, so close, yet so far. Have fun in hell."

He left the block and locked the door behind him. Spock couldn't care less about Caster; Zia was unmoving. He flexed his wrists and moved as close to the thin shield as he dared. If that shield wasn't there he just had to reach down and touch her shoulder, but it was there and he had to figure out some way to change that.

Groaning, she rolled over and he got a good look at her face. It was covered in green blood and he knew that there would be no swelling. Vulcans didn't swell.

"Spock…" she whispered, reaching out her hand.

"Do not-"

Her hand touched the force shield and she yelped as an electric current ran through her body. She sat up, her eyes wide.

"Spock, what's going on?" she whimpered.

"We've been put in cells." He raised his hand and held it at the shield. So close… yet so far.

"They're Vulcan Hunters," she replied, wincing. "They've been keeping tabs on us and picked the moment to kidnap us. If we don't get out of here they will torture us and execute us. When will Kirk get here?"

Spock shifted. "He will not realise of our disappearance for approximately two days. We merely need to survive until then." He met her eyes. "What did he do to you?"

A silence stretched out between them. "He beat me until I was unconscious," she said quietly.

In the ensuing silence Spock examined her emotions. "You are experiencing great pain."

"Duh, I was just beat up." She buried her face in her arms. "This is a blast to the past. I never thought I would have to go through this again."

He experienced more panic. "Do not give in. We must not give in to whatever they decide to do with us."

Their eyes met again and she raised her own palm, holding it right across from his. They stayed frozen like that for what felt like hours – palms close enough to touch, eyes that couldn't express what a mind-meld could.

Talk about bad timing.

_'I'm sorry for dragging you into this.'_

_'Do not apologise. Do not think of apologising. I could never leave you to face this on your own.'_

The pain was obvious. They longed to be able to touch, yet they couldn't. Tears welled in her eyes and she lay down, turned towards him. He settled down too, ignoring his throbbing jaw, and kept his eyes on her. There was no way he was going to voluntarily let her out of his sight.

_'Caster's gone completely down the toilet.'_

He had to chuckle at that. _'I do not doubt it. He did seem unhinged.'_

_'I never thought he would turn out so twisted, but then again I don't know much about him. What's creepy is that he seems to know everything about me.'_

_'He will pay for everything he has ever done to hurt you – this I promise.'_

_'I don't condone, yet disprove that.'_

_'Everything he has done today deserves your vengeance. You once gave me advice on keeping my anger contained. I will follow that advice, so I may use it when the situation arises.'_

_'We will get out of here. I've got the best Vulcan counterpart with me and he can figure out anything.'_

_'At this moment in time I calculate our odds of escape at 5.6%.'_

_'That's pessimistic.'_

_'I need time to evaluate our situation. Once that is completed, it will be easier for me to draw a conclusion.'_

He felt the exhaustion overwhelm her and her eyes closed. How he wished he could hold her.

Caster was going to pay.


	8. Strength is not necessary-

My thanks for my beta **MoreColourfulMoniker **for just being awesome!

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please read and review!

o.O.o

**Chapter 8 – Strength is not necessary…**

"Scotty! I need a better answer!"

"I'm sorry Capt'n but I can't do anythin' inside of eighteen months."

Kirk sat back down on his Infirmary bed in annoyance. Eighteen months! That was eighteen months stuck on Earth with no ship to take them anywhere. And McCoy was pleased about that, because his new protégée would benefit from that time. He was the only one. It was an inconvenience to everyone else.

"Come on Scotty, you've gotta do better."

"No Capt'n, I can't. My lady was pretty beat up and it'll take time for her to heal. Anyways, the crew has been too busy helpin' rebuild the city to put in the effort on the _Enterprise_. Where's Spock? I need his help to recalibrate some systems." Scotty glanced around, as if Spock would suddenly sweep into the room doing a tap dance.

"He's spending time with his girlfriend. From what I understand they had a row, so I've given him time off."

"How much time…?"

"Two, three days at most," Kirk shrugged. "It's really none of my business what they do." He pulled a face. "Not a good mental image."

"Well I'll give him a call and tell him that he needs to be back here pronto." Scotty pulled out his communicator and typed in Spock's number. He waited with it pressed to his ear before frowning. "He always answers his communicator, even when he's out with her."

"I've got Zia's number," Kirk suggested, holding out his hand. "What? Spock gave it to me for security purposes." Scotty handed him the communicator and Kirk proceeded to type in the number and wait for her to answer. It was his turn to frown. "That's a bit eerie. Neither of them is answering their communicators."

"How about we call back in an hour? If they don't answer, let's find them on a satellite and go visit them."

"Yes please," Kirk groaned. "I've been trapped in this bed even though I'm fine!"

McCoy stalked into the room in that very moment. "You're not okay Jim! You were clinically dead sixteen days ago!"

Kirk rolled his eyes. "Come on Bones, I'm better!" he whined.

"Be as it may, I'd still like to keep you under observation for at least another week, just to be sure there ain't any side-effects."

Annoyed, Kirk turned to Scotty. "Get onto a Starfleet computer and find them. Report back to me when you've got a location."

"What's going on?" McCoy asked.

"We can't get a hold of Spock or Zia," Scotty explained, "and I need to contact Spock."

"Go ahead," McCoy muttered, gesturing to the door. Scotty raised his palms in surrender and left quickly. "Now," McCoy grinned, "you're my unwilling victim."

Kirk groaned loudly. "I hate this more than my monthly hypos."

o.O.o

Scotty sat at one of Headquarters computers and entered his password, spinning around in his chair while he waited for the database to load. All he wanted was to get back to his lady as quickly as possible so he could get to work on her. He missed her gentle purring when she was active, even though it had only been sixteen days since she was docked in the California for primary structural repairs.

The database finally loaded and he logged into satellite functions. It was simple work to put in Spock's transmitter code – the one that he was tagged with upon his citizenship on Earth – and scan the surface for it. Normally it took a few scans to be able to locate it, so Scotty leant back in his chair and folded his hands behind his head. Ugh, he needed a good Scotch. It had been sixteen days since he'd had a drink, the last one being in a club when he'd resigned. Maybe he could go back there tonight with Keenser-

A beep from the computer attracted his attention: _SIGNAL CANNOT BE FOUND_. Concern bubbled in his chest and he found Zia's code in the database, entering it in. This time he watched the computer like a hawk as the satellite scanned the planet for Zia's transmitter. _SIGNAL CANNOT BE FOUND_.

"Aye, this is not good," he muttered. It may be broken, but he didn't think so. He typed in his code and the satellite located him in one sweep. _SIGNAL FOUND_.

Scotty only spared time to turn off the computer before he darted away from Headquarters and to the Infirmary. People leapt out of the way as he bolted past. Wow, he needed to do some jogging because he wasn't the fittest of people. Running through a renegade ship did not count. He breathed deeply as he entered the Infirmary, slowing down to a fast walk. McCoy spotted Scotty and joined him in the fast-walking.

"What's wrong man?" the doctor asked.

"I need to see the Capt'n!" Scotty wheezed. They burst into Kirk's room, startling him as he tried to chat up a nurse. "Get out!" Scotty snapped to the nurse. She bolted, frightened.

"Whoa, whoa, Scotty what's the problem?" Kirk asked, sitting up.

"I can't find their signals anywhere!" Scotty cried. "They're not on this planet as far as I can tell."

Kirk's mouth dropped open. "Spock wouldn't go anywhere without letting us know first. Something's not right."

"Aye, yer right abou' that. Their signals aren't anywhere on this planet, and Spock didn't let us know what was goin' on, so he didn't leave voluntarily."

McCoy paled. "You're sayin' they were kidnapped?!"

"Aye, that's what I'm sayin'."

"Who would want to kidnap two Vulcans?" Kirk asked in confusion.

"I don't know, but I need to access the database again and find out exactly when and where they were last seen."

"Get to it Scotty," Kirk ordered. "If our First Officer has been kidnapped we need to know."

o.O.o

He recoiled as he was struck again. Baldy (who Spock named appropriately because of his bald head) drew back his fist, smiling lopsidedly, and Spock spat green blood from his mouth. His jaw throbbed, but he was determined not to give in.

"Not so cocky now, are ya?" Baldy grinned. "Your kind is a disease, you and your damn emotionless talk." He punched Spock again and shook his hand. "Man, this makes me feel good."

"I am certain it does," Spock said pleasantly, spitting out more blood. "It gives great satisfaction to injure others that you do not particularly like."

Baldy narrowed his eyes. "You shut up!"

"What will you do if I do not comply?" Spock mocked. Baldy's eyebrow twitched.

"I'll beat the living daylights outta you!" he spat.

"I do believe you must wait until my execution…"

"That's stupid. I can kill you right now!"

The door slammed open and Caster sauntered through. "There won't be any killing today. We can save that until next week." He smiled unpleasantly. "That's right filth: you're dying in six days. I know your kind can survive without food and water longer than any human, so there's no need to feed you both. Besides, it would stretch our resources. We need all the food we can get our hands on. You know, every Vulcan Hunter but our main informant is here right now, and they're all itching to get their fists in your face."

"How many do you have?" Spock's voice was dangerously low.

"About one hundred people from countless planets, but most are humans from Earth. We have one thing in common: all of us despise your kind." Caster turned to Baldy and jerked his head at the door. Baldy grumbled as he left the room and when he was gone Caster turned to Spock, a predatory look in his eyes.

"I do believe you are going to use your brute human strength against me," Spock sighed.

"You may be stronger, but I've got the upper hand. You're tied up in this chair, with nothing you can-"

Like lightning, Spock's hand delivered a powerful strike to Caster's jaw. The human reeled back, shocked as two teeth hit the wall opposite. While Caster was occupied, Spock used his free hand to attempt to untie the other one.

"You little-" Caster grabbed Spock's arm and forced it back down onto the chair. Spock didn't go quietly and pushed his captor back, straining to hold him away while he struggled in his chair. The door slammed open again and Baldy stalked in. He grabbed Spock's arm and held it down with brute strength while Caster tied him back up. "You shouldn't have done that," Caster hissed. He pushed Baldy from the room and faced Spock. "How did you do it?"

"I have my ways."

Caster punched Spock harder than before. "You made me bleed, filth! How did you do it?"

There was no way of avoiding a beating, truth or not. He opted to say nothing at all.

o.O.o

Zia touched her face tenderly, wincing whenever her fingertips made contact. It hurt like hell. Not to mention her head aching as she copped Spock's beating, albeit in a diminished form. He was likely putting more effort into regulating his emotions than figuring out a way out of there. She couldn't help but feel relieved that he was doing that. If not, she would be unconscious on the ground with her blood vessels bursting again.

That wasn't fun.

Footsteps sounded outside and the door swung open, revealing Spock and Caster. The Vulcan looked thoroughly beaten physically, but his eyes shone with defiance. Caster, in contrast, looked thunderous.

"Let's see how you can hold up this time," Caster spat. He pushed Spock into his cell and the shield activated. Spock jumped to his feet and Zia could clearly sense his panic.

"Do not-"

The shield to Zia's cell lowered and Caster grabbed Zia from her sitting position and slammed her into the wall behind her. He proceeded to rain punches all over her torso and legs and she fought back her screams through sheer determination.

Goddamn that hurt! The breath was forced from her lungs and she heard her ribs crack under the pressure of his fists. He grabbed her throat and squeezed, the rage clearly written on his face. She coughed, her gaze fogging over.

"Tell me how you got your arm free!" Caster shouted. Zia planted a vicious kick between Caster's legs and he reeled back, clutching it and howling. She made to leave her cell, but the shield was up before she could take a step. Caster rolled over on the ground, just beyond the shield, his hands covering his crotch. "You're going to pay for that!" Caster moaned. "I'll be back in exactly an hour and I expect the truth then." He stood shakily and stumbled from the room, slamming the door shut. Zia collapsed on the ground, her breathing ragged.

_'__That was not pleasant,' _she murmured, her gaze becoming dark.

_'__No, you cannot fall unconscious! We must find a way out!'_

She fought against the darkness and peered at him blearily. _'Okay. How did you get your arm free?'_

_'__When a Hunter attacked me I broke the ropes during my recoil. Caster cannot find out, otherwise he will change the rope.'_

_'__Spock, I won't be able to handle another session in the chair.'_

_'__No, you must! It is the only way we can escape!'_

Her eyes closed. _'You need to figure it out…'_

Now asleep, she missed his plea. _'No! I need you!'_


	9. -When Tempered with Wits

To all the Australians reading, good wishes for your ANZAC day today.

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for still being my beta after so long! Please read and review!

o.O.o

**Chapter 9 - … When Tempered with Wits**

Caster did come in an hours' time, although he was visibly disappointed upon seeing Zia lying unconscious. She now had new bruises lining her throat and peppering her body; vivid and nasty. Spock's face was devoid of emotion, as it always was when he was beyond rage. Now, he was feeling indescribably calm. Yes, he was extremely panicked for her, but he had taken her advice and finally figured a way out of there. All he needed was for Caster to lower both their shields…

"Not so tough now, are ya?" Caster sneered. "She's a lot more of a challenge than she used to be. Did she ever tell you that I was the first one to hit her?"

"Do not speak of that," Spock said calmly.

"Oh, I think I will. We were ten-years-old when my parents told me what she was. I couldn't believe that I had spent most of my childhood breathing the same air as an emotionless robot, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. You know, I was thinking of killing her or driving her away, but beating her and taking away her confidence was so much satisfying." He sighed and lounged against the wall. "It was our science tutor that encouraged her to pursue Starfleet."

"I commend your tutor for their wisdom."

"Yeah, I wasn't happy when I found out. Then that pointy-eared bastard was actually accepted! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I tried to get her to change her mind, threatening that if she left I would find a way to ruin her, but she didn't believe me. When she got to the Academy she didn't spare a second-thought to my threats because she was so busy with you. And now here we are."

"Lower the shield and let us see who will win in a fair fight," Spock suggested. "If I win, we go free."

"Do you think I'm that stupid?! Why the hell would I fight you fairly when I can beat you senseless and enjoy it?" Caster stalked out of the room, only looking back once. "I'll be back when she wakes up."

He left, and Spock cursed under his breath.

o.O.o

Scotty burst into Kirk's hospital room, averting his eyes as he saw that Kirk was in the middle of changing into his Captain attire.

"Damn it Jim, this is a bad idea!"

"If something has happened to my First Officer I want to be ready!" Jim retorted, buttoning his pants.

"Capt'n, I've got the info for when and where they disappeared!" Scotty cut in. "They were in a garden just outside of the Academy when the signal cut off. I was able to isolate the code that their kidnappers used to deactivate the transmitters. It's Admiral Marcus' code."

Kirk groaned. "Even though he's dead that guy still can't cut us a break! What else you got?"

"I can't detect any signs of beaming radiation, so I took a look at all the vehicles in the area at the time. There was only _one_, and I've got the registration number. It belongs to Jordan Peltier and he lives not far from here."

"Alright, I want Sulu, Chekov, Uhura and you to subdue Peltier. Bones and I will go and take a look at the crime scene. Just one more question, exactly how long ago were the signals cut off?"

"Approximately two days and eleven hours ago."

"So our First Officer has been at the mercy of kidnappers for two-and-a-half days. Let's get to it."

Scotty nodded and went to go and fetch the others. Kirk had complete faith in his crewmembers that they would capture Peltier. He finished dressing and McCoy went with him to the garden. There was nothing overly suspicious about it. McCoy knelt down and examined the ground.

"It's faint, and I'm not really good at this, but I think that this is Vulcan blood," he said softly, pointing to a small patch of green on the concrete. "It could easily be dismissed as spilled drink."

"I've got nothing," Kirk sighed. "Wait… there's a scrape mark in the ground here. It looks exactly like my neighbour's driveway."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"He has a big truck with a door on the back that he folds open. It's pressed on the ground and he marches up and down it to put stuff in the back. This mark is similar to a door on the ground that has some weight put on it. This is where they were loaded onto the truck."

"I don't see how that helps us."

Kirk stood. "We should get back to Headquarters. I'll bet they've got the guy now."

o.O.o

Anger surged through Kirk as he glared at Peltier. The fat, red-faced man was thoroughly sarcastic and completely unwilling to share information about the kidnapping. All they could discern was that he was part of it, but nothing more. That was all that Yeto could glean from him.

"You will tell us, or you'll be spending a long time in a cell," Kirk threatened.

"Do whatever you want," Peltier sneered. "It won't matter. Your precious friends will be dead by the end of the week."

Kirk stiffened. "What?"

"You heard me. They'll be dead soon. We don't keep them alive for long."

And that was all they could get from him.

Outside the interrogation room, Kirk, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, McCoy and Chekov huddled together. They had absolutely nothing to go on, except the knowledge that Spock and Zia would soon be killed. It was a strain on all of them.

"Look, we've got nothing from him," Kirk said quietly.

"We know that he was involved, and that should be enough to take to trial," Uhura protested.

"But lass, if he won't confess then Spock is as good as dead," Scotty pointed out.

"Hey, don't forget about Zia! She's the nicest girl I have _ever _met, and you can't help but like her," Uhura snapped.

"Back on topic," McCoy interjected, "how will we get the information from him?"

"I, uh, went into her room," Uhura said nervously, "and I found her communicator. She's got a few missed calls from a contact named Jamie."

Kirk held out his hand for the communicator, taking a few steps away from his crew as soon as it was in his possession. He entered the number and pressed it to his ear, hoping against hope that whoever Jamie was could help them.

_"__Hello? Zia, are you okay?"_

"Hi, is your name Jamie?"

_"__Yes. May I ask who is calling?"_

"My name is Jim Kirk, Captain of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. What is your relationship to Cadet Abbott?"

_"__Oh, you're her future Captain. She's told me about you. Ahem, uh, she and I work together as waitresses at a restaurant and we're pretty close. I've been checking up on her every few days since I found out about her condition."_

Kirk blinked. "What condition?"

_"__She has, um, ruptured brain vessels that will kill her if she doesn't learn to become a telepath. The doctor who diagnosed her is called… Yeto, I think."_

"She's dying?" Kirk gaped. He spun around. "McCoy, I need Yeto here immediately."

"Yes Captain."

_"__What's wrong with Zia? I'll do anything to help."_

He hesitated. "They've been… kidnapped, she and Spock. All we know is that they're not on Earth and our only lead is a guy who isn't talking."

Jamie snorted. _"Please, give me five minutes with him and I'll make him talk."_

"What?"

_"__I'm a quarter Orion. Persuasion is one of my skills. So do you want my help to find my friend?"_

A slow smile spread across Kirk's face. "Actually…"

o.O.o

Spock stood shakily, sore from his most recent beating. In his opinion, Baldy and Odour (a human with a terrible body odour) had taken far too much joy in delivering the blows to his torso and head. This resulted in a fractured collarbone and possible concussion. One thought was clear in his head.

Escape.

He knew that if he couldn't handle another beating, Zia certainly couldn't. They could only go so long before their bodies betrayed them. While they were both stronger from the bullying they received as children, Vulcan bodies weren't designed to handle such violence. So escape was their only option. He had to find a way to get both of them out.

Zia was finally awakening, her movements weak. They had been here far too long already, he thought, and he had a plan.

"You look terrible," she whispered, sitting back against the wall.

"You are not much better," he replied, kneeling as close to her as possible. _'I have a plan.' _He was aware that those words were accompanied with the emotion of desperation.

_'__Enact it then. We won't last much longer.'_

The door slammed open and Baldy and Odour entered. Both shields went down and Odour bent down and grabbed Zia's wrists while Baldy went for Spock.

Rage was overpowering. There was nothing holding Spock back as he leapt for Baldy, sending him crashing to the ground. Spock spun and stepped behind Odour, knocking him out with a nerve pinch. Baldy scrabbled to his feet and swung at Spock, who ducked and tackled him into the wall. Gasping, Baldy aimed a kick at Spock's legs, but he grabbed Baldy's arms and twisted them behind him, using his free hand to get rid of him with the nerve pinch.

Spock ran to Zia and was angered as he saw that Odour had grabbed her wrists before, almost snapping one. He gently slid his arm around her waist and lifted her over his shoulder like a rag doll. She coughed and clung to him, feeling slightly vertigo.

"We are effectively escaping," he muttered, slipping out the door. She didn't reply, merely hung on for dear life as he raced up countless deserted corridors. He didn't know exactly how many Vulcan Hunters there were, but he didn't expect there to be many. Voices sounded inside a door he passed, and he pushed faster. His legs were screaming at him to stop, but he couldn't. Zia was in no condition to escape, having suffered far worse than him. She was relying on him to get them out of there and to safety.

"Behind you," she grunted. Spock quickly lay her down and turned, facing the two goons behind him. What surprised him was that one was a woman. She dodged around him and went for Zia while the other goon kept Spock from going after her. They traded punches for a few moments before Spock was able to slip behind him and give him a nerve pinch. He spun and saw Zia fighting a losing battle against the woman. While Zia was using ponn-ifla appropriately, she didn't have the strength to match her opponent. The woman punched Zia right in the gut, a punch that would have caused permanent damage if Zia hadn't deflected it at the last second. Instead she staggered back, winded. This allowed Spock to jump on the woman and knock her out.

"Come on," he whispered, grabbing Zia's hand. She stumbled after him, half-running half-struggling along the corridors. Where were they going? He had absolutely no idea. Vulcans couldn't sweat, but if they could he would be drenched. Behind him, she was slowing, her steps becoming weaker with every passing second.

"We'll make it," she rasped. "We'll make it."

It seemed like she was trying to assure him more than herself.


	10. Keep Holding On

Evening all! Another chapter of _Zia and Spock's Movie Marathon _is now up. I'd be honoured if you would read it, as I have something special planned for the last chapter of that.

Warning: tissue alert.

I give my love to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for the feedback on this chapter. Thank you!

o.O.o

**Chapter 10 – Keep Holding On**

Honestly, Kirk felt sorry for Peltier. The guy stood no chance.

Jamie had arrived, and wasn't what anyone expected. It was plain luck that she was an Orion, although Uhura had treated her frostily (mainly because her ex-roommate had been an Orion named Gaila, but she'd died in the space above Vulcan). Kirk had been enamoured with her beauty and confident demeanour, and would have asked her out if the mission wasn't of vital importance.

"Jim!"

He glanced around and saw McCoy with Yeto tagging along behind him. "Good work Bones. Yeto, I need to speak with you."

"Yes Captain."

Kirk spared one more look at Jamie sitting on Peltier's lap, flirting outrageously and releasing her appealing pheromones, before he led Yeto aside. "The Orion says that Zia has ruptured brain vessels that will kill her if she doesn't learn to become a telepath. She also says that you were the doctor who diagnosed her. Is this true?"

"Yes. She came to me almost three weeks ago with severe head trauma. It happened once before, when you provoked Spock in order to take control of the ship, but tensions were too high at the time for her to take much notice of it."

Kirk shifted. "How do you know about that?"

Yeto raised an eyebrow. "I am a Betazoid. I know more about my patients than most other people. I know that you eat apples in a feeble attempt to keep Doctor McCoy away from you."

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away," he sighed. "But about Zia, what caused the trauma?"

"Captain Pike died and Spock felt overwhelming rage. She cannot regulate the emotions, and so she cannot cope with it. A barrier was set up and I do not know whether it has been taken down or not. As far as I know, Spock is not aware of her condition."

Kirk ran his hands through his hair in annoyance. "This keeps getting better and better."

Frowning, Yeto pressed his hand on Kirk's cheek. "Your blood pressure is rising." He opened the medical satchel slung over his shoulder and rummaged through it.

"No, please no hypos," Kirk moaned. Yeto ignored him and inserted medicine into the needle, pulling down Kirk's collar and injecting it into his bloodstream. Kirk shook out his body and admitted to himself that he needed the medicine. He wasn't quite recovered from his brush with death.

"I trust my services are no longer needed," Yeto prompted, closing his satchel.

"No." Kirk grabbed Yeto's arm before he could leave. "You'll be an invaluable member of my team."

The Betazoid smiled. "I'm glad to hear it Captain."

Once Yeto was gone, Kirk strolled back over to join his crewmembers outside the interrogation room. "How's it going?"

"He's eating up her flattery," Sulu whispered.

Kirk glanced at Uhura. "We'll need another ship to take us to wherever they're being held. You and Scotty are in charge of that."

"Aye Captain," she nodded. Scotty left with her and Kirk turned his attention to the interrogation.

"I know she's your captive, but she's my friend," Jamie was simpering.

Peltier tried to touch her, but his hands were bound behind him. "I'll do anything you want," he said desperately. Kirk smirked. The pheromones had obviously taken full effect.

She put a finger on his cheek. "How about this, I kiss you and you tell me where she's being held?"

His eyes were glued to her lips. "Yes."

Smiling, she leant in and kissed him gently. He tried to go in for tongue, but she pulled back and placed her hands on his chest. "Now, you promised to tell me where she is."

"They're on Delta Organa," he purred. "Can I have another?"

"Sure," she grinned. It turned into a look of disgust and her fist made contact with his fleshy face, knocking him out cold. She stood and brushed off her dress. "That was one of the most disgusting things I have ever done." She turned to the door. "You heard him. They're on Delta Organa. Got get them."

"Yes ma'am," Kirk nodded, gifting her with the trademark Kirk grin. She shook her head and made a shooing motion.

"Keptain, Delta Organa vas once a mining planet for ze Federation, but vas abandoned vhen it ran dry," Chekov said. "Ve have no people on ze planet, so it is ze perfect hiding spot."

"Right, Sulu, Chekov, McCoy, go and find Uhura and Scotty. They should have gotten us a ship now." They left and he turned to Jamie. "When we get them back I'm taking you out to dinner to thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," she sighed. "Look, you better go or rescue them. I will hold you responsible if they don't make it."

"Right," Kirk muttered, racing after his crewmembers.

o.O.o

The air smelt cleaner, so Spock reasoned they were nearing the surface. Zia's strength was all but gone, siphoned off into dealing with her extensive injuries. He was going to kill Caster for his brutal treatment of her. She didn't deserve this.

"Spock."

It seemed that Caster was going to get his comeuppance. Spock dropped Zia's hand and spun, knocking Caster down. The human fell, caught unaware, his arms flailing. His head hit the floor and he cried out in pain. Spock didn't care, straddling him and gripping his throat. Caster's eyes widened and he scrabbled uselessly at Spock's arms. He still thought he could get out of this. There was no way he was escaping. Spock readjusted his hold and ripped his arms in opposite directions.

Dropping Caster's lifeless body, Spock gripped Zia and brought her over his shoulder, continuing out. The overwhelming rage was subsiding, now that he had exacted his revenge. Oh, how he'd wanted to do that since battling Khan. He'd had an insatiable urge for revenge on someone who'd wronged him, and it was finally satisfied.

Zia coughed on his shoulder, slumping down. He glanced over to her and realised with shock that her nose was dripping with fresh blood. No, no, no! He'd lost control, and now she was suffering. He pushed down the anger and the next thing he knew, they were outside. Fresh air washed over them, and he realised just how much he missed being outside.

He ran. He ran as far and fast as he could, Zia hanging from his shoulder like a sack of Plomeek. The sun had been just above the horizon when he'd began to run, and now it was gone. He collapsed on the ground, exhausted, but his day wasn't over.

Desperately he pushed Zia onto her back and examined her wounds. She had several fractured bones all over her body, as well as a sprained ankle. She was peppered with cuts and bruises, her skin mottled and uneven. The worst thing was the blood running from her nose. That meant that her blood vessels had ruptured again and she was a step closer to death.

His injuries meant nothing to him at the moment. He didn't realise that he also sported countless cuts and bruises. To him, his own problems meant nothing compared to hers. So soon after almost losing Kirk, the love of his life was teetering on the balance between life and death.

"Zia, please wake up!" he cried. She lay there, lifeless, the non-bruised skin milky and pale. He grabbed her face in both hands, shaking it slightly. "Please! You cannot give up now!" Panicked, he placed both hands over her heart and began pumping gently. It still beat, albeit faintly, but if she didn't receive medical attention he feared it would stop.

"Spock…"

He leant close to her face. "Zia, I am here. We have escaped. We are safe."

"Spock… having a body sucks."

He couldn't help but smile at her feeble attempt of a joke. Her eyes fluttered and he grabbed her face. "Zia, I love you, and I need you. You cannot abandon me now. We will survive together, and we will spend the rest of our lives together. Vulcans live for hundreds of years, and I cannot do it without you by my side."

She let out a breath. "I've waited a long time to hear those words. If only these weren't such… such… terrible circum… circumstances…"

"No, no, stay with me. Stay awake." He bent down and kissed her, squeezing his eyes shut. When he pulled away she was lying there, completely unresponsive. "No! No!" He bent down, placed his hand on her face and melded, ordering her body to function. Her chest rose and fell and her heart beat, but she wouldn't wake.

_'__I love you…'_

The words were like a whisper on the wind, but he knew it was her subconscious. _Please, please let her wake._ He pressed his forehead to hers and accepted defeat. The pain was raw and fresh, like a knife to the heart.

He allowed himself to weep.

o.O.o

The _U.S.S. Justice _came out of Warp in orbit around Delta Organa. Kirk shifted in his seat. It really wasn't the most comfortable chair. The chair in the _Enterprise _was much better.

"Keptain, I am picking up several life signs on ze surface of ze planet," Chekov cried. He pulled the scan up on the big screen. Frowning, Kirk examined the signs. There was a massive cluster of them in what looked to be an old mining facility. But there were two signs a fair distance from the main cluster. As they watched, several signs from the big cluster broke off and began to head towards the two signs off on their own.

"That's them," Kirk announced, pointing to the two on their own. "They've escaped somehow." He tapped his comm. "Scotty, this is Kirk. Chekov's forwarding the locations of two individuals we think to be Spock and Cadet Abbott. Beam them up, and I'm taking a large party down to the planet to subdue the Vulcan Hunters."

_"__Aye, Captain."_

"I volunteer to go, Captain," Sulu said immediately, raising his hand.

"Good man Sulu," Kirk nodded. He stood. "Let's go get these bastards."


	11. Hanging by a Thread

Cross Country was on today, and it would have been awesome except that it was raining the whole time! I hope you're all enjoying fine weather where you live, be it in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, and the weather continues to be great.

Lots of angst in this chapter, so be prepared to feel sad.

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for your approval and continued support.

o.O.o

**Chapter 11 – Hanging by a Thread**

She pulled herself out of the darkness abruptly, her eyes snapping open, her breath drawn in a gasp. A cough burst from her throat and she convulsed. Hands came from nowhere and gripped her shoulders, holding her down.

Fear wormed its way into her belly. Everything was dark except for a lamp to her right, not to mention her wrists and ankles tied to the bed. Her face went slack as she realised that they must have been recaptured. Abruptly, she ceased to struggle. The hands gently smoothed back her hair and a humming sounded from the blackness.

"Just kill me and be done with it," she rasped, closing her eyes. It was a bad move. Her throat burst into flames and it brought forth more coughing. Eyes moist and blurred with reflex tears, she didn't see the hands coming forward with a glass of water. A straw entered her mouth and she tasted liquid on her tongue. Not caring what it was, she fastened her lips around the straw and drank as much as she could. It must be water, because it soothed her throat and cleared her head.

"At least you've still got control over your throat." The voice sounded familiar. "You took a massive beating."

Blinking rapidly, she tried to make out the fuzzy face hovering above hers. It moved into the light, and she saw black eyes and a blue shirt. She would have smiled, but her face ached. "We were rescued."

"Yes, you were," Yeto nodded, pressing his palm to her forehead. "You've been unconscious for two days in critical condition. You're lucky to be alive."

"What happened?"

"We beamed up the two of you from the planet's surface. There was only one casualty, a human, and the others were imprisoned on the _Justice _and brought back to Earth to be jailed for life."

"Who was the casualty?"

Yeto blinked. "It was a human named Dane Caster. His neck was broken. I examined the body myself."

She sighed. "Thank whoever's listening that that bastard is dead. He's the reason I'm so messed up."

His face set in lines, Yeto untied her wrists and ankles. "It's been an immense battle to keep you alive." He grimaced. "Doctor McCoy and I haven't slept since you both got onto the ship, and then to the Headquarters Infirmary. You were hanging by mere threads; however the physical injuries are all curable now that you have woken. There was some concern that you would not wake, but I knew better." He leant down and pressed his cheek against hers, in a gesture of friendship. "Your friends will be pleased to know that you have woken. They have been extremely worried."

Now she decided to ask the question that was bothering her. "Where's Spock?"

"He… he's alive, and awake, in another part of the Infirmary. He thought it best for the two of you to be separated until the entire issue is sorted out. The, uh, the barrier has been put up again. Even he's uncertain of whether it was his doing or yours."

Blinking back the wetness in her eyes, she held out her hand. Yeto gently took it and sat beside her bed, attempting to provide the comfort that she needed, but even he knew that it wasn't going to be enough. Her trauma had affected her in ways that he didn't understand.

"You should get some sleep," she muttered, rolling over.

"I cannot do that with a patient in critical condition," he said immediately. "I will sleep once I am certain that you do not need constant supervision, as I do not trust anyone else to take care of you."

His words warmed her heart. "Thank you, but I'll be fine."

He tilted his head and leant back in the chair. "Then I will sleep here. Wake me if you need anything."

"I will."

As much as she wanted to recover, he wouldn't be able to give her what she needed.

o.O.o

The next evening Jamie came bursting in, looking as immaculate and beautiful as ever.

She hugged Yeto. "Thank you for calling!"

Yeto pushed her away uncomfortably. "It is no issue. I will remain here while you speak."

Jamie nodded and bounded over to the bed, placing her hands on Zia's shoulders. "How are you doing? Yeto only called me today. I thought you were dead!"

"What did they tell you?"

"I got a call from Kirk and he said that you had been kidnapped! I pulled the Orion card and took charge of the interrogation on the informant they'd captured, and he told us exactly where you were." She smiled. "I'm glad you're alive."

"Well, it'll be a while before I'm fully-recovered," Zia replied uncertainly, "but thank you for your help. We… well; if you hadn't helped then we would…"

"It's okay," Jamie said soothingly. "I just had to know that you were recovering. You're one of the only friends I've ever had that don't treat me differently because I'm part-Orion, and I would do anything to ensure your safety. That's what friends do."

"I owe you one. If you ever need help, in anything, just give me a call and I swear I'll be there."

Jamie smiled and kissed Zia's forehead. "That's what friends are for."

Yeto stepped forward. "Miss Jamie, Kirk is getting impatient."

Zia tilted her head. "What's this about?"

"Captain Kirk is taking me out to dinner as a thank you for effectively saving both your lives. Yeto called and I told Kirk that I had to see you before we went out."

"Don't keep him waiting then. Kirk really is an honourable man; that much I've learned from Spock." All happiness that this conversation had instilled was torn down as she said his name. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply.

"Are you sure? You don't look so good."

"I'll be fine. You just go and have a good time." She opened her eyes. "Please, it would make me happy to know that you're happy."

Jamie glanced at Yeto, who nodded. She touched Zia's face before turning and leaving, looking back once with concern on her face. Zia shooed her, and when the door closed the Vulcan laid her head back, staring at the ceiling in misery. They didn't understand. No one understood what this was like. The painkillers were the only things between her and the agony of her injuries.

Yeto stepped forward. "If you wish, I can get you more company. I know that your friend Tara has returned to the Academy two hours ago. She was in the Infirmary for a check-up."

"No." Zia shook her head. "She'll be tired from the trip. Tomorrow is fine. I need the rest anyway."

"Okay. I'll contact Tara and Mister Turon tomorrow and tell them to come up. Do you want me to bring them up to speed, or do you want to do it?"

"I'll do it. Thank you for this."

"You're my patient and I need to ensure your comfort."

_I would be a lot more comfortable if Spock was here, _she thought. Tears formed unexpectedly, pouring an alarming rate. Yeto's eyes widened and he raced over to her bed, sliding in with her and wrapping his arms around her. She fell into his chest, crying out pain and sorrow, but it should have been Spock holding her. That thought only made her cry harder, her wails echoing around the room, sounding of agony and misery. Yeto's arms were tight around her, unwavering in their strength. They were her anchor; she held on for dear life.

o.O.o

Spock walked out of the interrogation room, weariness in his bones. One-hundred Vulcan Hunters had been questioned, all of them imprisoned for life; kidnapping and torturing a Starfleet officer and cadet was a heinous crime.

McCoy came up and ran a tricorder over Spock's face.

"Damn it man, you're pushin' yourself too hard," he grunted.

"This is something I must do," Spock replied calmly. "I must see these criminals to justice. They have killed countless members of my species, and that must be addressed. Has Mister Scott found any information regarding the use of Admiral Marcus' code?"

"Yeah, it seems that he's been funding their little operation using Starfleet money. Stand still man!"

Spock stopped walking and stood, waiting for McCoy to finish his analysis. "I cannot afford to wait. This mission needs to be complete so I can ensure the safety of myself and Zia."

"She's awake."

He froze. "When did she wake?"

"Yeto called me. She woke a few hours ago, and from what he told me she's incredibly confused and upset. You shouldn't stay away from her for long. I've read her file and I know exactly what happened to her when she was a kid."

"Do not lecture me on her past," Spock said quietly. "I will see her when my mission is complete. This cannot wait."

What he didn't tell McCoy is that he was dealing with his own emotions, and he couldn't expose her to them before he'd gotten them under control.

o.O.o

Zia woke, clutching at her throat. She gasped, fighting back the scream that attempted to claw its way out of her. Instead she sucked in ragged breaths, fighting the convulsions. No… no… it couldn't be happening.

Yeto was sleeping in the chair beside her bed. She wouldn't rouse him. She wouldn't let anyone know that the nightmares were back again.


	12. Back Into the Academy Routine

Things have been a bit hectic lately so posting may vary from Monday's and Friday's, but cross your fingers it won't!

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for sticking with me for so long.

o.O.o

**Chapter 12 – Back Into the Academy Routine**

Zia poked her omelette, not particularly hungry. On both sides of her, Tara and Blair ate their breakfast in silence.

Classes resumed today. All around them cadets conversed excitedly, most of them looking forward to what the term would bring. They were discussing what they had done on the holidays, and some cadets declared that they would be assisting in the repairing of the city in their spare time, just to get extra credit.

"I got engaged to my high school boyfriend-"

"It was so awesome to not have to study-"

"Every hour of every day he was just-"

"Hey Zia, are you not hungry?"

Zia shook her head and put down her fork. "No. I'm just gonna go to class early."

"Okay," Tara said, gently touching Zia's shoulder. They shared a sad smile and Zia stood and disposed of her plate. She dragged her feet through the corridors, not really wanting to be around so many people. They still whispered behind her back and laughed at her ears. Oh, she knew that she shouldn't care, but she couldn't help but care. These people were her peers, and some of them disliked her because of what she was. They were just as bad as the-

NO! Don't think about them! She shook her head and sped up and into her room. It was a relief to be away from people. She took a shaky breath and walked in front of their full-length mirror, pulling down her high collar. The high collar was purposeful. It hid the heavy bruising on her neck, just as the thick bracelets covered the marks on her wrists. Her shirt kept the fresh scars concealed, and a layer of make-up didn't let anyone see the bruises on her face. Yes, she still carried the marks from her time on Delta Organa. She would for a while. But there were other scars, ones that ran deeper than the physical.

It was a ghost from her past, dredging up things she'd rather forget. Caster had tortured her, mutilated her, and he'd enjoyed it. If Spock hadn't been with her she would have given in, but he gave her the strength to stay alive.

Her past was a monster. There were other cadets who'd suffered from bullying because they were geniuses, but only a select few were subjected to racism. People like Caster ruined her life, and the lives of countless others. He would never understand just how deeply he'd wounded her, or how his selfish, violent actions impacted upon her life. And there were the countless other Vulcans who had been executed by that radical group. They all had parents, possibly siblings, and maybe a bondmate or a child. Caster had torn families apart and ruined lives without realising it. He was a cruel being who sought only to fulfil his own needs.

She was glad he was gone.

The rest of the Hunters had been jailed on numerous accounts of kidnapping, torture and murder. Caster's body had been jettisoned into space and that was the only funeral he deserved. His family spat abuse at her, claiming that their son hadn't done what he was accused of, exactly like they did ten years ago.

She didn't care.

Fighting back the anger, she pulled her collar back up and grabbed her satchel, checking that it had all her books in it.

**_Timetable: Abbott, Zia_**

_Class 1 – _Classical Vulcan (CLAS 114) Block-A, Rm 15

_Class 2 – _Advanced Physics (PHYS 406) Block-B, Rm 19

_Class 3 – _Elementary Temporal Mechanics (PHYS 454) Block-B, Rm 4

**_Lunch_**

_Class 4 – _Biological Oceanography (PSCI 325) Block-A, Rm 12

_Class 5 – _Advanced Topics in Anthropology (ANTH 497) Block-A, Rm 1

_Class 6 – _Athletics Program (PE 232) Block-D, Athletic Compound

Classes begin at 0900 and each goes for one hour. Lunch is at 1200 for one hour. Classes finish at 1600.

_Classical Vulcan _was a good course and one that she picked up quickly. Vulcan was supposed to be her native language, although she'd never learnt. Professor Secily had a firm grasp of the language, having lived with Vulcans for a short amount of time, and was always eager to help cadets reach their best.

_Advanced Physics _was one of her hardest courses, and she was determined to keep her High Distinction. While Professor Golden wasn't as good as Spock, he was still decent. He didn't have favourite cadets, was a fair marker, and had once suggested that Zia publish one of her essays in _Starfleet Monthly _in the science section. She'd shaken her head at that.

_Elementary Temporal Physics _was her hardest class, taught by Professor Hahn. Most people complained whenever they were given work, as Professor Hahn was a tough marker, but Zia kept her mouth shut and put her head down. Complaining wouldn't get her anywhere.

As for her three other subjects, they were taught by the same professors as last year – Professor Spalding, Professor Moriarty, and no professor for _Athletics Program_. After the year was over, Zia was going to swap one of her classes for _Advanced Self-Defence_. There was no way she was going to be caught off-guard again.

Slinging her satchel over her shoulder, she left her room and walked speedily to Block-A, keeping her eyes averted from anyone she passed. Paranoia sucked.

The door to her classroom was unlocked and she slipped inside, taking a seat in the front and taking out her PADD, setting up a page for note-taking.

"Hey."

She glanced up as Tara walked in and sat beside her.

"Hey," she replied tiredly.

"I thought you'd be here."

"You thought correctly. I did say that I was going to class early."

Tara glanced at the clock on the wall. "Class doesn't start for thirty minutes."

"You should go. There's nothing to gain by your being here. You should go to your own class."

"I'm not leaving you here alone," she said fiercely. "What kind of friend would I be?"

"Tara-"

"Zia, the whole time you were kidnapped I was in Sussex shopping and having fun. You needed a friend and I wasn't there."

"I had Spock. Although, I don't think I have him anymore."

Tara's eyes narrowed. "What's wrong?"

"I haven't seen him since I almost died. He's put up another barrier and I haven't been allowed to see him." Her hands shook. "Please let him be okay."

Before Zia could continue, Tara covered her shaking hands with her own steady ones and squeezed. "He's okay. He loves you. You love him. You'll be seeing each other before long. I don't think I've ever seen two people more in love than the two of you."

"Blair likes you," Zia blurted. Where had that come from?

A smile stretched across Tara's face. "I'm glad to hear it. He's got as good a poker-face as Spock. I can never tell what he's thinking."

"But he _really _likes you."

"And I like him too. You know, when I was in Sussex one of my ex-boyfriends made a move on me. He only stopped when I told him that I had a hunky alien boyfriend."

Zia tried to smile at that, she really did, but she just couldn't. "Blair will be relieved about it. You know, he's taken to exercising every day to get more muscular, just to please you. I bought him a whole new wardrobe and Jamie's been giving him girl advice."

"Who is Jamie?"

"She's a friend from work and really good with that sort of thing."

Was that… jealousy? Wow, Tara had jealousy written on her face. "I hope she hasn't tried to make a move on my man."

"Wait, _your _man?"

"Yes. Blair is my man. We're going to watch a movie tomorrow night."

Again, she tried to smile. "I'm happy for you, really."

Tara sighed and tightened her grip on Zia's hands. "Look, from now on I'll be here. You're my friend and I will be there for you this time."

Zia fought back tears. "Thank you. Now, you really should be getting to class."

Eyes flicking to the clock, Tara stood. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"Yes ma'am. Professor Secily should be arriving any minute. She's always early."

Tara hesitated. Then she quickly placed an arm around Zia's shoulder and squeezed before leaving swiftly. Zia watched her go, a mixture of sadness and pain in her eyes.

o.O.o

"Homework: a thesis on the use of liquids in replicator mechanics," Professor Hahn said. The bell sounded a second later and Zia set her PADD to hibernate and packed her notes away slowly, not wanting to be caught in the rush for lunch. She still wasn't hungry.

But her head was pounding. She closed her eyes for a moment, attempting to use her limited Vulcan skills to regulate the pain. It was unrelenting. Tiredly, she slung her satchel over her shoulder and moved against the crowd, heading away from the Cafeteria and towards the Infirmary. The ghost of a smile appeared when she saw Yeto tending to a cadet with a broken wrist.

"Take two of these daily," he told her, handing over a pill bottle, "and change the bandage twice a week – Mondays and Fridays if you wish to be specific."

"Thank you," the cadet said, standing and leaving. Yeto crossed to the computer, typed in some notes, and turned to Zia.

"Come here," he said softly, gesturing to the nearest bed. "What's the problem?"

"My head hurts," she moaned, leaning against his shoulder. "I can't regulate it successfully. I need Lexorin."

"You shouldn't have too much," Yeto advised, propping her against the pillows. "I'll give you some now. The ruptures shouldn't be this bad."

"Well they are, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm not even allowed to see Spock so he can't help me fight this."

Yeto moved to one of the medical cabinets and pulled a bottle of Lexorin out. He poured it into one of the hypos and injected it into her arm. "Don't fret. He has not forgotten you; he's just trying to understand some things."

"Things like what?"

"Well, Admiral Marcus' code was used to deactivate yours and Spock's transmitters, so he's probably trying to make that connection. And he's probably working on the cases against the so-called 'Vulcan Hunters'. He's most likely incredibly busy. Don't worry; he'll come see you within the week, once he has taken care of his own emotions."

She sighed. "Sometimes you're too honest for your own good."

"It is a gift as well as a curse," he grunted, registering her visit and treatment on the computer. "It will be good to have a friend aboard the _Enterprise_."

"Are we friends?"

"I believe so."

"That's good to hear," she nodded. "Well, I have homework for every subject to get started on, so I shouldn't delay anymore."

"Good luck," Yeto nodded. She stood, stretched, grabbed her satchel and headed to the library, feeling a slight shred of optimism.


	13. The Power of Emotions

It's Friday and time for yet another chapter! Special thanks to **angel897, ZabuzasGirl **and **Vulcanlover12 **for their positive reviews the whole way throughout the story. All writers love people like you who enjoy their writing and always have something positive to say!

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for Spockifying this chapter.

And just a warning: this chapter contains a hint of sexual references, so be aware of that because this story is labelled T. It's nothing explicit, don't worry, but there are implications.

o.O.o

**Chapter 13 – The Power of Emotions**

Swimming had always calmed her down, ever since she was a child. There was just something incredibly relaxing about the feel of the smooth water against her skin. It was almost sensual – she could touch it, smell it, taste it, see it and hear it. However the taste left little to be desired and she preferred to not get a mouthful. There could be anything in the water: dead skin cells, someone's excretion, spit and who knew what else.

Unfortunately, today she couldn't swim. If she wore her swimsuit people would see the bruises and scars and they would talk. So instead she put on a t-shirt with a collar and shorts, and practiced her ponn-ifla. This time, she put more power into her strikes in an attempt to channel her anger. It wouldn't work as well as swimming, but it was a start.

All around her the class chatted and did their work outs, but she took no part in it, keeping complete and utter focus. She pretended that the Vulcan Hunters were coming for her, and instead of allowing them to kidnap her she kicked their asses into the middle of next week. The anger was inevitable, but she refused to allow it to influence her actions. She was so immersed in her imaginary fight that she didn't notice that most of the class had stopped their work outs and were watching her. They had never seen her fight before, and were shocked at her strength. It had everything to do with being Vulcan. Everything seemed to revolve around her being a Vulcan.

The bell blared sudden and loud. Zia froze in the middle of her technique and waited for the rest of the class to file out, their voices excited and raucous. They had big plans for the night: study or parties, some of them going on dates. Her only option was study.

Now that she was alone, she allowed the anger to flow. Her strikes were not erratic, but they were powerful and showed evidence of pent-up frustration. She beat the punching bag again and again, moving in close and pounding it as hard as she could. It was a surprise to find tears flowing, but she continued to hit the bag while she sobbed. This was pointless. Spock had rejected her and she had to face the aftermath on her own, and she was afraid to sleep. There was no chance that she would burden Tara with the screams and violent movements. Her roommate didn't deserve that.

Arms encircled her from behind and she grabbed at them, twisting her body around.

"Zia, it is me."

She doubled over, weeping, her eyes squeezed shut. He spun her around and crushed her against him. She cried her heart out in his arms. Whether it was relief or misery, she didn't know.

o.O.o

McCoy checked their results for the second time. "You're both recoverin' swiftly. The injuries should heal before the end of the week, although somethin' needs to be done about Miss Abbott's brain. Is there anythin' else you need?"

"No," Spock replied. He stood. "Thank you for your assistance, Doctor."

"Anytime," McCoy shrugged. "I'll be seein' you two tomorrow."

Zia and Spock stood and left the room, their backs rigid. Outside, they paused.

"We will meet again tomorrow," Spock said quietly. He turned to leave, but Zia grabbed his arm.

"Don't leave, please," she begged.

He turned and faced her, his face impassive. "You require rest for classes."

"Well, no." She bit her lip. "The first time I slept without the aid of medication, the nightmares came back. I haven't slept since, and it's been five days."

Ever so gently, he rested his palm on her cheek. "I do not enjoy seeing you in pain. Would you like to come to my apartment for sustenance?"

"Okay. Hey, what have you been doing since you got out of the Infirmary, if you don't mind my asking?"

"I have led the interrogations of the Vulcan Hunters and sentenced countless of them to life imprisonment. I have also investigated the use of Admiral Marcus' code in our abduction. It seemed that he was behind it, and plotted to have us killed before he died. The Vulcan Hunters were founded and commanded by him, and they carried out the abduction despite his death. They have been monitoring us since your arrival at the Academy, it seems."

She drew a shaky breath. "I can't believe that an Admiral can be so xenophobic."

Spock's mouth twitched. "He never did approve of me. Attend."

He led her out of the Infirmary to where his flitter was parked, opening the passenger door for her to climb in. They were off to his apartment in minutes.

"I spoke to Spock Prime," she told him.

"I am aware. He contacted me yesterday and shared the information with me. He encouraged me to reconnect with you, as in his universe he never experienced a true, meaningful bond."

Her heart skipped a beat, "The poor guy."

"He expressed his relief that I have found you, and hinted that you are the only thing standing between myself and bonding with a stranger."

The flitter stopped and he climbed out, holding out her door. They stepped into the turbolift and it took them to his apartment, where he typed in the code and the door opened. It was dark inside, but as soon as the lights were turned on she saw just how white and clean it was. He had an impeccable taste in style.

"So… what food do you have?"

He went to the food synthesiser and prepared the Terran meal of vegetable soup. A fragrant aroma filled the room and Zia sniffed it hopefully. Something was thawing inside her; the barrier breaking. They sat down to eat together without saying anything. Nothing needed to be said. After the meal was finished, Spock washed the dishes and Zia fought her churning stomach. It wouldn't do to concede to such emotions in such a precarious time. But it was such an intimate setting and it brought forth feelings she'd barely felt before.

Spock settled beside her and turned his chair to face her. "I believe we have an issue to address."

Her breath quickened. "Yes?"

"I believe I must re-instigate our mind-meld and begin training you in the art of telepathy, to better assist you in the future."

Something else fluttered in her stomach. If they mind-melded he would know what she was feeling, and he might feel smothered. After debating it for a few short seconds, she realised that it was worth the risk. She knew he loved her, and she loved him, and there was darkness inside them that only happiness could vanquish.

"Okay, but I warn you, I'm a bit of an emotional wreck right now."

"Your concern is unfounded. I experience similar emotional reactions."

Spock carefully pressed his fingers to her psi-points. They closed their eyes and the barrier broke with such force that they winced. Light and colour burst into their minds. Pain and despair crashed down and they quaked under the force of emotion. It hadn't been this strong last time, but last time they hadn't been through torture and mutilation.

He reined in his emotions and she fought to keep her own in check. Once they were past the initial burst, her mind was filled with knowledge and wisdom. Not all of it was Spock's. Some of it was from Vulcan Elders who had taught him, but most of it was his own experience. All of his knowledge of telepathy was transferred into her mind, and absorbed into her memory. She drank in the knowledge eagerly, feeling her own mind changing. Her depression was supressed by joy and desire. She could feel her emotions reflected in Spock, and knew that he felt the same. Using her new knowledge, she gathered her strength and ended the mind-meld gently, opening her eyes.

"Spock, on Delta Organa you said that you loved me and needed me. You said that you didn't want to face the centuries without me. Is that true?"

"To lie would have been highly illogical."

"This time it's me saying it. I love you, and I need you right now." She stood and held out her hands. Uncertain, he took them and stood, but after tuning into her emotions his face cleared.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied, leaning in and kissing his pointed ear. "We need this. We need this to fix our emotions and learn happiness. I've never been so sure of anything before."

"I-"

She pressed a finger to his lips, shushing him. _'Spock, I need this. I know you do too.'_

He could feel her desire. She could feel his need and his deep hurt. This would save them both, and they each knew that. _'Yes.'_

And might she just say that the sight of Spock's bare chest still left her breathless.


	14. Stealing Away

What did you think of the last chapter? Review and let me know! It was probably the best one so far!

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for bringing me up to speed on Vulcan culture. You're a fandom genius!

o.O.o

**Chapter 14 – Stealing Away**

Waking was a slow business, and waking from a deep, peaceful sleep was even slower. She was in a beautiful place that had constantly eluded her. A slow smile stretched across her face and she opened her eyes, taking in the sunlight that streamed across the bedroom floor, the clothes on the floor and the wrinkled sheets.

Last night had rid her of negative feelings. One act of love had saved her mind, and soon her brain would be completely cured. Things were finally looking up.

Jamie had once mused that it would be boring – like a medical exam, tedious and methodical. It hadn't been like that. Spock had been gentle and sensitive, yet passionate and fervent. The peace that it left her with was welcome and she was certain that it would last.

Spock entered the room, tray in hand. "I believe you should eat before returning to the Academy."

"What's the time?"

"It is 0653 hours. If you eat and dress quickly, I can drive you back and you will have time to get ready before classes begin."

She smiled and he laid the tray on her lap, kissing her softly as he did so, lingering on her lips. They parted and he pressed his forehead to hers, smiling gently. She was overwhelmed with uncertainty in that moment.

"Hey, Spock, where do we stand?"

He moved back. "What do you mean to inquire?"

"I mean, are we all good? Where does our relationship stand?"

Spock tilted his head. "Zia, our relationship is stronger than ever. Look at the horrors we have persevered through. We have defeated separation, our emotions, and the Vulcan Hunters. I do apologise for being distant, but that is merely my way of coping. You allowed me to push past that, and now I believe our relationship is stronger due to it. No other woman can understand me like you, so it is logical to recognise my emotions."

Her stomach fluttered. "Does this mean we're together, no matter what?"

He laced his fingers through hers. _'Yes, it does.'_

o.O.o

Zia ran through the Academy corridors in a clean uniform and satchel slung over her shoulder. She really shouldn't have spent so long eating her breakfast, but she enjoyed Spock's company more than she would admit, perhaps because they were deeply, madly, and passionately in love. Discussing their feelings had meant the world to her, and Spock knew that.

She burst into her _Classical Vulcan _class only a few minutes late, but Professor Secily didn't seem to care. So she took her usual seat, pulled out her PADD, and began to catch up on the notes for class. It was then that she realised how behind on her work she was.

The rest of the day passed in a daze – she sat in class, took notes, and completed as much of yesterday's homework as she could during lunch and between classes. Spock was silent, as he was busy helping rebuild the city, and she didn't want to disturb him.

Eventually, though, she finished her ponn-ifla for _Athletics Program _and lugged to her room, planning to get stuck into her work. There was no way she was going to sleep for more than a few hours as there was so much to do. Tara was already inside working.

"Hey," her roommate said, "you didn't come back last night. Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm better than okay," Zia grinned. She sat at her desk and got started on her _Advanced Physics_. "I spent the night with Spock and we sorted everything out. He's not going to leave me alone again and we're going to fight this together."

Tara smiled and glanced back down at her _Finite Mathematics_. "Ugh, I've got so much to do, and I have a date tonight!"

"Good luck with that," Zia nodded.

**_Electromagnetic Field_**

_The electromagnetic field is an interaction of electrically charged particles, with the photon acting as the force carrier. The essence of Quantum Electrodynamics is the interaction of photons and electrons, since once that is understood the interaction of photons and other charged particles amounts to variations on the same theme. The Vulcan Science Academy pointed out that the interaction of photons and electrons could be understood in terms of three probabilities: the probability of a photon going from point A to point B, the probability of an electron going from point A to point B, the probability that an electron will emit or absorb a photon. If these probabilities are known, then the interaction of a photon and an electron can be understood. More complicated systems can be understood, at least statistically, as made up of a set of individual interactions._

"Screw it," Tara sighed, "I'm going to get ready now so I have plenty of time."

Zia chuckled as her roommate began to rummage through the wardrobe. It felt so good to smile and laugh!

_Renormalization, the nulling of infinities by infinities, is needed to calculate the interactions. Unfortunately, renormalization was the sort of approach that might work, might not, and the only reason it could be said to work was because the results agreed with experiment. Mathematicians hated it; Surak called renormalization "dippy" and believed, as most physicists still do, that Quantum Electrodynamics will be revised in the future to get rid of it._

"Okay, what do you think?"

Tara twirled in a pretty yellow dress that accentuated her dark skin and hair. Zia nodded her assent. "It looks amazing."

Grinning, Tara brushed her hair and completed her outfit with sandals and a cream handbag. She looked very pretty. Tara glanced at the time and raced from the room, having taken much longer to get ready than she expected.

Zia sighed and turned back to her work, but the door opened again.

"Oh, Zia honey!'

Her eyes snapped up and found her parents. They ran towards her, dodging past all the furniture, and threw their arms around her. She hugged them back, confused, and spotted two Vulcans standing at the doorway – Spock and Sarek.

"Young Mister Spock told us what happened," Patty said, "and we had to come and see you. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't want you to worry," she mumbled.

"Of course we would worry! We're your parents!" They finally let go of her and Spock and Sarek came into the room, standing with their hands clasped behind their backs.

Giana smoothed down her daughters hair. "Spock has said that he's taking us all out to a barbecue that his friends are holding at one of the parks."

Zia raised her eyebrow. "This is the first I've heard of it."

The ghost of a smile appeared on Spock's face. "Mister Scott, we are ready to beam."

o.O.o

Music blared, people danced, and the crew of the _Enterprise _was having a jolly old time. Sulu and five other crewmembers were manning the barbecue, cooking fresh meat for serving on bread. Zia was a bit overwhelmed, but accepted Spock's hand as he led her to the dance floor.

Sarek stood awkwardly beside Patty and Giana. All three of them watched their children dance.

Patty leant towards Sarek. "You know, we are going to be related one day. We both know that our kids are perfect for each other."

"Spock is an outcast among humans and Vulcans – it is logical that he chooses a strong mate who is suitable genetically."

Giana held out her hand. "My name is Giana, and this is Patty. We're Zia's adopted parents."

"I am Sarek, Spock's father."

Patty tilted his head. "Is his mother human?"

Sarek blinked. "Yes, however she is dead. I do believe he will be pleased with the presence of another mother-figure." He glanced down at Giana's still-outstretched hand, and instead of shaking it, he offered the ta'al, the traditional Vulcan salute.

Zia and Spock danced gracefully, for a short amount of time; just enough to be socially acceptable. It was a logical thing to do, because they both were weaker than usual. Their injuries still hadn't fully-healed, although they were well on their way to recovery, and Zia still had to undergo intense mental training to prepare her for the future. When they quitted the dance floor they were satisfied with their efforts. Kirk met them with drinks.

"Well, I see the happy couple is happy again," he shouted.

"Yeah," Zia grinned. She surprised everyone by throwing her arms around him, "Captain, thank you for saving Spock on countless occasions. Thank you for rescuing him on Nibiru, on saving your whole crew from Khan, and for coming for him on Delta Organa. It means more to me than I can say."

"Hey, it was no biggie," he shrugged, handing the drinks to Spock and patting her back. "He's my First Officer and you'll one day be a Lieutenant of the _Enterprise_. Plus, I like both of you and I would never let either of you die."

Zia pulled back and smiled at him before taking a drink from Spock. The three of them took deep droughts before Kirk smacked his lips and darted off for more. Then Zia and Spock drifted amongst the crew, chatting with Uhura, debating with Scotty, bantering with Chekov and conversing with Sulu. It was easy to forget all the hardships they'd been through, and even easier to have such a great time when surrounded by friends. Eventually McCoy made an appearance, completely off his face and singing about beautiful women. Now that made everyone grin. Predictably, Yeto was the one who brought him under control and gave him water.

"I do have one question," Zia said quietly. "Have you been having a monthly contraceptive hypos?"

Spock blinked. "Doctor McCoy has been insisting upon it ever since our relationship began. I have never been as pleased about it as I am now. Since you have begun regular menstrual cycles, it is only logical."

She smiled. "I'm glad you're so smart."

"If you will excuse me, there is something I must attend to." Spock nodded and slipped away, lost in the moving crowd. Uhura stood next to Zia.

"You're a lucky girl," the human murmured, sipping her wine.

"I am. I know it's hard for you, but I really hope we can be good friends." Zia glanced down at Uhura, since she was taller by a head.

Uhura grinned. "We already are. There's absolutely no way I can hate you, especially after all that stuff you've put up with in the last month or so."

Giana and Patty joined them. "Who is this?" Giana asked. "You're beautiful!"

"Uh, thanks. I'm Lieutenant Uhura of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. I work in the same department as Zia will, and I predict that we'll become good friends."

"That's excellent!" Giana laughed. "Zia didn't have any friends before she came to the Academy. It's great that there are such nice people there."

Uhura chuckled. "She's such a sweet woman and it'll be great to have another female around the ship. In my opinion, it's entirely too male-dominated. Zia's smart enough that she'll knock all the science officers down on their asses."

Patty whooped. "That's my girl!"

o.O.o

They walked back to her room hand-in-hand. Giana, Patty and Sarek were staying at a hotel on the harbour, and the party had broken up not long ago. Scotty had got to work beaming everyone to their respective locations and now they were strolling through a corridor in the Academy.

"You do not feel smothered, I hope," Spock said uncertainly.

"Hell no," she grinned. "Thank you for calling my parents. I really did need to see them."

They reached her room and heard voices inside. Curious, Zia pressed her ear against the door.

"I hope that helped," Blair was saying.

"It did, thank you. I didn't know you were this good at math."

"I kind of have to be for engineering."

It was quiet for a moment. "I had a great time. Thank you for taking me out." Footsteps sounded, and a kissing noise. "You're going to have to get better at that."

"Hey, it's not as if I've had any practice!"

Tara's voice became sultry. "Would you like me to help you with that?"

"Sure," he replied, his voice betrayed by nervousness. "I, uh, better go get some sleep." He kissed her again and his footsteps approached the door. It opened and he stared at Zia and Spock, who stared back at him. His cheeks darkened and he hurried away awkwardly. Zia shook her head and turned to Spock.

"Thank you," she murmured. He stepped closer to her and held up two fingers. Smiling, she pressed her fingers against him in ozh'esta, which was the Vulcan equivalent of a public kiss. Two cadets walked past, gaping as they saw Zia and Spock standing together, and they whispered as they rushed away. Zia didn't care. For the first time ever, she didn't care.

Due to the intimacy of their touch, their feelings were transmitted again. They basked in their love and the strong emotional bond they shared, and knew that it was strong enough to survive anything that was thrown their way.

They gently parted fingertips and Spock gazed at her with his eyes filled with warmth. "I shall see you tomorrow," he breathed.

_'__I'll think of you constantly until then.'_

_'__Of that I will do the same. Hopefully we can begin your training properly.'_

They Vulcan-saluted each other and Zia retreated into her room, her entire body feeling like jelly. Tara lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, but she turned her head to stare at her roommate.

"We kissed," Tara sighed. "He's a terrible kisser."

"You better teach him the tricks then," Zia nodded, "because he's _this _close to falling in love with you." She grinned as she knew that feeling all too well.


	15. Picking up the Pieces

Uhhhhh such a long week... I'm so glad it's over! How has your week been? They always seem to drag on, don't they?

My thanks to **MoreColoufrulMoniker **for approving this chapter. It does have a bit of a message to it; all your actions have an affect on everyone around you. If you're nasty to someone it affects their family, friends and the wider community. So don't be mean. It's not worth it. Nice people tend to live much better and fulfilling lives.

Have a brilliant weekend!

o.O.o

**Chapter 15 – Picking up the Pieces**

"Excuse me?" Zia tapped the front desk. "I was wondering which room Patty and Giana Abbott are staying in."

The man at the desk checked his records and peered at her suspiciously. "What's your business?"

She blinked at him. "I'm their daughter." He stared in disbelief. "I'm adopted."

"Ah. Room 14, keep going down the left hall and turn left at the very end." Even as she walked away he was still confused. She followed his directions, turning left at the appropriate corridor, and quickly found the correct door. _Knock, knock._

"Come in," Giana called. Zia opened the door and slipped inside.

"Hello baby girl," Patty grinned, kissing both her cheeks. "What's this you're wearing?"

"It's my work uniform. I've got three hours tonight."

Giana checked the clock. "But it's only four-thirty! You must have just finished class already."

"Yes. I just wanted to see you before I went to work. How was your day in San Francisco?"

"Oh, it was amazing! Patty took me to the planetarium and it was absolutely beautiful." Frowning, Giana reached for Zia's collar. "What's that?" Zia closed her eyes and allowed her mother to pull the collar down a notch. "Oh! Oh, Patty! She's got bruises!"

"Honey, I thought it wasn't that bad," her father said seriously.

"It's not. I can't feel it anymore. Besides, the Vulcan Hunters have been locked up and Caster is dead. You've got nothing to worry about."

Giana tenderly touched her daughter's face. "It's our job to worry. Now, if you'll excuse us, we have some Vulcan Hunters to scream at."

Zia was horrified. "No, please don't!"

"You're our daughter, and those people kidnapped you and tortured you. They had no right to do that to anyone, least of all you. We need to drill that into their heads – they can't ruin peoples' life just because of what they are! They're selfish beings without a _shred_ of humanity in them, seeking to fulfil their needs without a single thought of how it might AFFECT ANYONE ELSE!" Giana roared. "THEY DON'T RESPECT YOU! THEY DON'T EVEN _KNOW _YOU! WHAT GIVES THEM THE RIGHT TO TORMENT YOU?!"

Afraid, Zia shrank back, but her mother smiled and pulled her into a hug.

"We love you honey," Patty said softly. "That's what we're trying to say."

"I love you," she whispered, melting into the arms of her parents. Pure love and affection entered her mind. "Spock loves you too, although he'd never admit it out loud."

"Well we're entrusting him with our only daughter. What do you think that says about him?"

_'__They love you too.'_

Giana rubbed her hand against Zia's back briefly and let go. "It's time for you to go to work and time for us to wreak havoc."

Zia mock-saluted, "Please, wreak as much havoc as possible. Spock's already made them pay once, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you did it too."

o.O.o

"I don't get how you can handle the whole work load at the Academy," Jamie mused as she and Zia polished glasses.

"Put it this way," Zia replied, picking up a new glass, "Academy cadets don't get a lot of sleep."

Chuckling, Jamie waved a glass carelessly and declared, "And thou shalt sleep for thy lover decrees it!"

Zia blinked. "What?"

"It's classical English. It means you must sleep because I, your friend, declare it."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense."

They both looked up as a well-muscled and completely drunk human male strolled up and leant against the bar, deliberately ignoring the _Closed _sign. His eyes were, predictably, fixated on Jamie, or more precisely her ample breasts. Zia rolled her eyes. This kind of thing happened all the time.

"Excuse me," he purred, "but you are the hottest girl I have ever seen. Wanna catch up after work?"

If there were two things Jamie hated, it was being called hot and being called a girl. The Orion politely shook her head. "I'm sorry, but this bar is closed. Please go back to your seat and the bartender can take your drink order."

"I don't want a drink." His eyes blazed hungrily, vibrant against the fog of liquor. "I want you."

Zia picked up the sign and pushed it in front of him. "This bar is closed. There are others you can go to."

He glared at her. "Shut up you pointy-eared turd."

Biting back her anger, Zia leant in close, her eyes boring into his. "Say that again, I dare you, because then I can sue you for harassment, and so can my friend here. Or we can get you thrown from the restaurant. Either way I'd be happy." Drunken men were extremely annoying when it came to work and they constantly disrupted the families that came to the restaurant to eat. The man blinked against the alcohol-induced haze, turned, and walked away. Zia and Jamie exchanged glances and smiled. "Hey," Zia said, "how're things with Kirk?"

"He's actually pretty cool," Jamie nodded. "We made out a little, but that's it. I've taken a leaf out of your book and decided that any relationship I have, I want it to be emotional-pure."

"Oh, our relationship isn't pure anymore," Zia grinned. "It's still emotional, but definitely not pure."

Jamie gaped. "You guys…?"

"Yes."

By this point, Jamie's eyes were popping from her head. "Was he your first?"

Zia shifted. "Yeah, but I'd rather not go into more detail. All I'm saying is that we found our happiness through the depression. And guess what else? Tara and Blair went on their first date!"

"How did it go?"

"He kissed her, but apparently he's not a good kisser."

"That doesn't matter, just as long as he understands her emotions." Jamie laughed. "I'm so happy for you guys! All of you!"

"Think of it this way, none of it would have been possible without you." Zia hugged her friend, taking care to not drop the glass. Jamie hugged her back and Zia enjoyed the feeling of friendship it instilled. For her whole life she'd been bereft of a best friend, someone to share secrets and gossip with, and now she had five – Tara, Blair, Jamie, Yeto and Uhura. And Spock, well, Spock was something special. He wasn't just a best friend; he was her whole world now. She didn't know what she would do without him.

Jamie pulled back. "You've still got an hour left. Let's get this done and you can go see Spocky-wocky."

"Don't be so immature," Zia rolled her eyes.

"I can't help it," Jamie giggled. "When you talk about him you make him seem like your epicentre."

"That's because he is," Zia sighed, pretending to swoon.

"Come on, let's get to work." Jamie picked up another glass and Zia bit back a comment, opting to continue working before someone heard them.

o.O.o

Tara was in the dorm when Zia got back, sitting at her desk and tackling a complicated math equation. As the door opened she glanced up from her work and smiled, allowing Zia to see the huge lump on her bottom lip.

"What's that?" Zia asked, walking up.

"Oh, it's a cold sore. I get them when I'm stressed." Tara peered down her nose, making her look cross-eyed. Zia closed the curtains and proceeded to strip off her work garments; exposing the nasty bruises that were a painful reminder of what she'd gone through. Knowing what to do, Tara ducked into the bathroom to grab ointment, came back out and began to rub it gently onto the bruises. She wouldn't need to do it, except that some of the bruises were in places that Zia couldn't reach, such as the back, and places that she couldn't see, such as the neck. To make it easier, Tara agreed to put the ointment on so it would heal the bruises after a week of treatment.

Zia stood there in her bra and panties, feeling incredibly exposed. She'd never liked being naked, as her body was paler than the moon, but putting it next to Tara's chocolate skin just made her laugh. Her roommate finished putting on the ointment and put the lid back on the jar.

"Thank you," Zia said quietly.

"No problem. Just let me know if you need anything else and I'll help. Especially with your menstrual cycle and managing it, because you're very behind on everything you need to know."

She shook her head. "There's nothing for now. Just study and sleep." After changing into her pyjamas, Zia turned on her PADD and searched for the _Advanced Physics _homework she'd neglected. She had had barely any time for homework in the last few days, what given with spending the night with Spock, going to a party and working. But tonight she would work hard and get it all done, because she was cool like that.

Okay, she was researching the application of string theory in the formation of black holes.

**_String Theory_**

_In physics, string theory is a theoretical framework in which the point-like particles of particle physics are replaced by one-dimensional objects called strings. In string theory, the different types of observed elementary particles arise from the different quantum states of these strings. In addition to the types of particles postulated by the standard model of particle physics, string theory naturally incorporates gravity, and is therefore a candidate for a theory of everything, a self-contained mathematical model that describes all fundamental forces and forms of matter. Aside from this hypothesized role in particle physics, string theory is now widely used as a theoretical tool in physics, and it has shed light on many aspects of quantum field theory and quantum gravity._

As she already knew everything there was to know about black holes, it was a simple matter to apply the logic of string theory into the facts of black holes and formulate a hypothesis, therefore setting the stance for her entire essay.

It was very tedious work and after that essay she had eleven others from her different subjects to do. Ugh. But she had to get this done and get ahead of her work so she could actually have a life and stop stressing. Yeah, she really needed a calming rock or something like that. There was so much stuff to stress about that breaks were rare, and she'd had more breaks recently than she should.

Tara had gone to bed hours ago while Zia was still at her desk, working through the pile of essays. Everyone agreed that being a cadet was hard and yet Tara seemed to handle the work with ease. Well, by human standards she may not be a genius, but she was excellent at handling classwork. In Zia's mind that's what classified a genius – not how smart they were, but how well they used their knowledge.

_'__Good morning, Zia.'_

She jumped, _'Uh, good morning to you too.'_

_'__I sense that you did not sleep.'_

_'__What was your first clue?'_

_'__Your emotions are erratic and I can sense your tiredness. I would not class it as exhaustion, but in simple terms I believe you are mentally drained.'_

_'__You're right about that. I had twelve essays to do and I only got nine done in about ten hours.'_

_'__Perhaps you should wake your roommate and eat a refreshing and beneficial breakfast.'_

_'__That's a good idea.'_

_'__I would also like to request that you come to my apartment after classes for your telepathy lessons and to complete any classwork I can assist you with.'_

_'__Thank you!' _A huge smile stretched across her face and she transmitted her feelings of love and thankfulness. In turn he gave her his care and affection.

_'__It would be wise to allow you to focus on your studies today.'_

_'__Yes, it would be wise.'_

_'__Are you teasing me?'_

_'__Maybe I am. Ugh, sorry, I'm just tired and completely hating the workload right now.'_

_'__I shall leave you to consume your breakfast. We will meet again.'_

_'__Of that I am sure.'_

She blew him a mental kiss and her heart leapt as he blew one back.


	16. Live Long and Prosper

Be prepared for a chapter filled with fluff! I wish I owned Star Trek, but alas, like all FanFiction writers I probably never will.

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for their Spockifying skills and in-depth knowledge of Vulcan culture. I'm saving a chocolate-addled Spock for another time...

o.O.o

**Chapter 16 – Live Long and Prosper**

"I am able to come to dine with you."

"Kup-sarlah nash-veh-tor aru-yokul k'du…"

"Your presence honours us."

"Amsetri tre…"

"When winter falls, summer begins, as is common with every ecosystem."

"Lu irak-wak tevan, belaar fal'i'kal, Vah qual lag'i k'kanok ha-ek'torektra…"

Spock glanced up from his PADD. "You are making excellent progress with your understanding of the Vulcan language. It is a difficult language to master as cadets often express emotion in their words when it is inappropriate. However, I still cannot understand the appeal to your resting position."

Lying on the floor in front of him, Zia turned her head to face him. "I'm tired." She rolled over onto her back and tucked her hands under her head, crossing her ankles. "The floor looked a lot more appealing than the couch, especially since it has carpet. I _love _carpet."

He tilted his head. "Forgive me, but I still do not understand the appeal to your resting position."

"Never mind," she sighed. "What's next?"

"Those were the final sentences. Your spelling and grammar are immaculate and your pronunciation implies time spent on Vulcan to learn the accent."

Zia slowly got to her feet and sat next to Spock, taking the PADD from his hands. She read over the translations once and nodded. "It seems okay. Uh, thanks for helping me with this."

"It is logical, as I am a native speaker. Vulcan is my first language."

She put the PADD down and faced him. "We've got more important things to do."

He nodded and held out his hand. "Do you wish to instigate the mind-meld, or shall I?"

"You do it. I don't have enough confidence." Her cheeks were tinged green and she closed her eyes, allowing him to press his hand to her face.

Immediately they were transported to a world of minds and emotions. She felt Spock take her away from all of that to a white emotionless state, which was strange because normally when she reached that state she saw black.

_'__To become a successful telepath, first you must understand your mind. This is the joining of both our minds, and when you attempt this on your own it will be different.'_

_'__What do I need to do?'_

_'__You must do what feels natural.'_

He fell silent and she was deep in thought. What to do? What to do? Maybe she could take charge and go to another part of her mind. That seemed logical. She took a deep mental breath and took control of the mind-meld, taking them from the white to space. Now it was blackness dotted with stars and the different galaxies, and it was beautiful. Flushed with success, she imagined their corporeal forms and was rewarded by their bodies appearing in her mind. Spock's form raised his eyebrow and her form flushed a deep green.

_'__It's the best I can come up with at the moment,' _she admitted. Spock's eyebrows seemed to be escaping from his forehead.

_'__Regardless, you are showing an extraordinary amount of control. You may become a telepath earlier than expected.'_

_'__That'll be awesome, because then I don't have to worry about being killed by my brain exploding.'_

Spock's form reached out and touched her shoulder. _'Take us somewhere else.'_

She focused on the area around them, imagining a finger swirling around it. Her mind responded and the image of space twirled around like a marble cake, the colours changing from black to white, transporting their forms to the bridge of the _U.S.S. Enterprise_. The entire crew were at their stations – Kirk in his chair, Sulu and Chekov at the front, Uhura at her station and McCoy standing right behind Kirk. She took an experimental step forward and found it strange that her footsteps made no sound. As if adapting to her thoughts, the scenario responded and walking made noise.

The scenario changed and instead they were standing in Spock's old professor quarters. There was a pot simmering away on the stove and there were cushions on the floor for meditation. Spock walked over to the kitchen and opened the pot.

_'__Fascinating,' _he murmured. _'Your mind has conjured m'lu. It seems that you have been travelling to places where you feel secure. Very interesting…'_

Zia sat down on one of the cushions. _'I'll admit I miss our old meditation sessions; it was a great way to wind down after a long day. Everything was so different back then.'_

He put the lid back onto the pot and clasped his hands behind his back, lips pursed. _'Perhaps you would like to attempt emotional regulation?'_

_'__Okay.'_

Bracing herself for strong emotion, she imagined a tunnel. When the emotions did come she squeezed them through the mental tunnel like it was a sieve, feeling them a bit at a time instead of all at once. Loyalty to the crew, approval for her techniques, guilt for Caster-

She ended the mind-meld, pulling his hand away from her face, staring at him in shock. "What happened?"

Spock lowered his hand carefully and stood, clasping them behind his back. He crossed the room. "I do not think it prudent to discuss-"

"Spock, whatever it is, it's bothering you. Couples share things that are bothering them." She stood and joined him.

He averted his eyes, taking a deep breath. "I killed him, Zia. Caster tortured both of us and threatened you on several occasions. He accosted us during our escape and there was nothing I could do. I simply snapped his neck. It was… revenge. Yes, it was illogical of me to give into my primal nature, but it was logical to keep you safe. He has done you so much wrong that he deserved a slow death, but he received a quick one." He hung his head. "Does this lower my morals?"

She took his hands gently. "He was a monster. He was barely human. You didn't kill a human, but someone who had absolutely no humanity. Look at what he did to us, and think of what he did to countless Vulcans before us. There was no honour in what he did, so he deserved none."

"Still, it does not aid my guilt." He squeezed her hands. "I did not wish to raise the issue before as you were finally happy."

She gaped and threw her arms around him, resting her chin on his shoulder. His hands were pressed against her back and she was tuned into his emotions, sensing the conflict. "Come on," she whispered, "I'll give you a bath and some tea."

"I do not see how those will assist in my situation."

"Trust me, it works."

He pulled away from the hug and went to the bathroom, where she heard him turn on the tap for the bath. Meanwhile she typed _Raspberry Tea _into the synthesiser and grabbed the offered mug, taking it into the bathroom. Spock was already in the bathtub, waiting for the water to rise. Zia put the tea aside and fiddled with the bath settings, adding scented bubbles to the bath. A bar of soap popped out of a cabinet in the side of the tub and she dipped it into the water, lathering her hands in a thick layer. She picked up the tea with her elbows, handing it to Spock.

"It does smell most fragrant," he admitted, sipping it slowly, "but has a high temperature."

She shushed him. "Just sit back and relax. It's my turn to take care of you."

Yes, Spock was naked, but it wasn't anything she hadn't seen before. He obeyed and sat in the tub, switching it off as the water reached mid-chest. Zia knelt to the side of the tub and began to rub his chest with soap. He really had an amazing physique – broad but not overly-muscled shoulders, sculpted chest, narrow hips, and beautiful marble skin, although that was marred for the time being with several green bruises. Her hands worked from his shoulders down his chest, his arms and stomach, gently massaging to relax and stroking to calm.

He let out a slow breath, dropping his rigid pose and relaxing into the bathtub. Smiling, Zia cupped some water in her hands and used it to wash of the soap, the smile widening as bubbles dotted his hairless chest. It was quite cute. His eyes were closed and he set the tea aside, losing himself in the pleasure of the bath. She put more soap on her hands and began to massage his scalp, coating his normally immaculate hair in the oily substance. In a moment of girlish weakness she styled it into a Mohawk, fighting giggles at how funny he looked. Then she took a breath and washed it off, noticing that the corners of his mouth were uptilted. Still smiling, she poured water over his hair and face, fascinated at the way it ran down the bridge of his straight nose, dripping down his perfectly-shaped lips and onto his sculpted chest. More droplets stuck to his long lashes, falling infrequently and running down his supple cheeks, while more coated his pointed ears. While washing his hair she paused for a second to touch them, as he knew she would, and she took that second to think of how much she loved his Vulcan ears.

Now that he was washed he fully relaxed into the bath, his muscles loosening and mind slipping from its control. He picked up the tea again and took a deep draught, eyes still closed. Zia smiled and tip-toed from the bathroom to the lounge so she could clean up her Academy equipment and sort it out for tomorrow. Once her satchel was packed she went to the bedroom, took off her shirt and skirt and slid under the sheets. She couldn't stop smiling. Her tactics had worked and now Spock was incredibly relaxed and feeling a lot better about himself; spying on his emotions assured her of that.

It was a while before he came into the room. He smelt of soap and vanilla, his body warm and hair slightly damp, but he slid into bed anyway, moving over to spoon her. His arm was draped over her shoulder and he buried his face in her long auburn hair, the dark red/brown that he loved.

"Dif-tor heh smusma," he whispered.

She smiled gently and laced their fingers together. "Live long and prosper."


	17. A Different Point of View

Only one more chapter after this. It's always very sad when a story finishes, but that gives the potential for another one to begin!

This chapter is just a few different characters and what they think about everything that's been going on.

My thanks to **MoreColourfulMoniker **for approving of this chapter and for being an awesome beta!

o.O.o

**Chapter 17 – A Different Point Of View**

Giana and Patty Abbott strolled up the harbour of San Francisco, watching the water ripple with the slightly breeze. Well, Giana was looking at the water and Patty was looking at the pretty dress that swirled around his wife's legs. Twenty years into their marriage and she was as timeless as ever.

"That was so satisfying," she sighed. "Don't you think?"

"Absolutely," he agreed. "I loved making those bastards cower in the corner for what they did to our little girl. The amount of them that tried to protest that they didn't take part in it directly…"

"It's absurd! And we'll be giving the Caster's a good talking-to when we get back. They've let their son ruin Zia's life enough and we have to make them pay." She laced her fingers through her husbands and they stopped, leaning against the railing.

"At least she had Spock with her," Patty said softly.

"Yes, at least she had him. The last time they came to visit us – the first time we actually _met _the young man – you could really see the sparks between them." She laughed. "I can't believe we had to urge him to kiss her. By the look on his face you could almost believe that he'd never been kissed before. A handsome lad like that would definitely have had a girlfriend or something."

"Don't forget he was raised on Vulcan, so his upbringing was different."

"Other people would say that Zia's upbringing was different. And it was. It was very different. Now she's suffering because of it."

"Spock's there to help her. He knows what he's doing."

"I can't help but feel protective. I know she's a big girl, able to live her own life, but we do still have some influence. I just don't feel ready to give her up just yet."

"You won't be giving her up. A son's a son until he takes a wife; a daughter's a daughter all your life. She'll always be our daughter, but she's entitled to fall in love. Might I just say that she has impeccable taste?"

Giana sighed. "You're right. I'm overreacting. And I'm well within my right! I never thought that raising a child would cause all this worry."

Patty slung his arm around her shoulders while still holding her hand. "She's going to be fine now that she's with Spock. At least we can be certain that we'll have grandchildren, which was an unthinkable prospect for her before she went to Starfleet."

"That's true." They stared at the sunset. "Let's just get this straight. We love our daughter and will do anything to ensure her happiness. We like the father of her future-husband and we like the future-husband. We believe she's chosen wisely for a 'mate' and will give us little Vulcan grandchildren." She glanced at her husband. "Did I miss out on anything?"

"Just that we're going to let her live her own life now," he nodded.

"She's still our little girl."

Patty agreed, "Now and forever."

o.O.o

It was late as Kirk sat in his office, going over the latest batch of applicants who wanted to serve aboard the _Enterprise _once it was repaired. He was bored. Most of the crew were out doing useful things, leaving him stuck doing the paperwork. Unfortunately this was the sort of thing he had to do himself.

He'd worked through most of the pile already, dismissing a large majority of applicants. He only wanted the best; cadets who were efficient in not just one field. They had to have a wide range of skills if they were to be useful, like science and biology, or medicine and xenolinguistics. Diversity was something he prided himself in, and he would deliver.

A certain file caught his eye and he frowned, opening it.

**_Grade Papers: Abbott, Zia_**

_Interim Marks, First Year_

_Introduction to Physics – _99.8%

_Advanced Topics in Anthropology _– 98.4%

_Biological Oceanography _– 97.9%

_General Physics _– 100%

_Overall Marks, First Year_

_Introduction to Physics _– 99.8%

_Advanced Topics in Anthropology _– 99.1%

_Biological Oceanography _– 98.2%

_General Physics _– 100%

"Wow," he murmured, scanning the page a second time to make sure his eyes weren't playing any tricks on him. "She really is a genius. I guess that's what comes with being a Vulcan." He flipped over the page to her latest marks.

**_Grade Papers: Abbott, Zia_**

_Interim Marks, Second Year_

_Classical Vulcan – _99%

_Advanced Physics _– 99.6%

_Advanced Temporal Mechanics _– 99.8%

_Biological Oceanography _– 100%

_Advanced Topics in Anthropology _– 99.7%

Kirk's eyes were just about ready to pop out of his head. Her lowest mark for the last two terms was 99%?! How was that even possible? He shook his head to clear it. She must do a lot of hard work and put in the hours, as well as having the good class attitude that counted for a fourth of the overall grade. These were by far the best marks he'd come across so far.

"But what do her professors say about her?" he muttered, flipping the page over yet again and reading the professors remarks from her interim report for this year.

**_Classical Vulcan, Professor Secily_**

**_Abbott, Zia_**

_Zia is a pleasure to teach. She has a firm grasp on the language, as well as a positive attitude to learning and is always eager to add her input to class discussions. In class we have studied the formation and delivery of Vulcan, specifically covering the lack of emotion in the speech. Her spelling is immaculate and she is an invaluable member of my class._

**_Advanced Physics, Professor Golden_**

**_Abbott, Zia_**

_Zia is a highly-skilled and knowledgeable individual in the subject of physics. She displays an in-depth knowledge of all the subject material we have covered in class, as well as assist in the smooth running of class time. Her insight into deep-space study and the detection of anomalies and radio frequencies is to be commended; she is the most intelligent student in this class._

**_Elementary Temporal Physics, Professor Hahn_**

**_Abbott, Zia_**

_Zia shows an amazing amount of intellect with physics-_

He didn't need to read anymore. Everything he needed to know about her, he already knew. Spock's girlfriend was a genius who had been bullied, just like Chekov. Plus she'd already racked up pity-points with him, what with being captured and tortured by the Vulcan Hunters, but still having the strength to walk around like nothing had happened. She was truly remarkable, he had to admit that. Looking back, he felt like a bit of an idiot when he remembered attempting to pick her up, but now that was all in the past.

Judging by everything he knew, she was exactly the kind of person he wanted on the _Enterprise _– brilliant and able to hold her own. Thinking back to the previous year of missions, Kirk recalled how stressed Spock had been, as he was both First Officer and Chief Science Officer. Perhaps it would be wise to give the position of Chief Science Officer to someone else… someone Spock would approve of. A smile stretched across Kirk's face. Yes, this would make his friend happy.

o.O.o

Honestly, it was difficult being the only female in the group. Uhura reflected on this as she terminated her call from Kirk. For over a year the group was her, Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Sulu, Scotty and Chekov; in her opinion it was entirely too male-dominated. Kirk had just told her that he intended to put Zia Abbott on Alpha Shift with the rest of them for the five-year mission, as well as promote her to Lieutenant and Chief Science Officer. If he'd told anyone else of his intentions, they'd think him mad.

But Uhura knew just how suited Zia was to the role. She was even smarter than Spock and she remained strong in the face of danger. Uhura remembered how scared Zia had been when Vulcan was destroyed and there was none of that vulnerability left now.

Yes, Uhura had been extremely jealous of Zia, even despising her at one stage, because of her relationship with Spock. It had been childlike, a thing of the past, and she was over that now. Zia had earned her place as Spock's other half, fighting to stay alive as she lay on her death-bed. Everyone had seen just how emotionally compromised Spock had been as she was in that coma and in that time one came to understand the depth of their bond. Uhura and Spock would never share the same feelings that he held for Zia and that was final.

Shaking her head, Uhura pulled away from her reminiscing. She dialled another number in her communicator. It was time to push all those regrets behind. "Hey Zia, would you fancy going shopping tonight?"

_"__I'd love to! If you get hungry, food's on me."_

Uhura laughed. "We'll meet at the Academy gates at around five?"

_"__That sounds good. Although I'll warn you, it looks like it's going to rain tonight, so either bring an umbrella or dress carefully."_

"I'll look out for that. See you then!"

Uhura hung up and glanced at the clock. Classes had already finished for the day and she had thirty minutes before meeting Zia. She changed into boots and a sensible coat and grabbed her handbag before strolling from her apartment. Zia was already there when she reached the gates and they both smiled at each other.

Yes, Uhura had once been jealous of Zia, but now there was no reason to. She predicted that they would become good friends.

o.O.o

As usual when he returned to an empty house, Sarek hurt. He missed Amanda. He missed her with all his katra and would still miss her for the rest of his days. Unlike most Vulcans he had declined to be bonded again, using his Ambassador position as leverage so he would not have to share his feelings of loss and mourning with another woman. It would not be fair to subject another woman to the feeling of being second-best.

He stared around the empty room, sadness creeping in. Despite only just getting back from visiting his son, Sarek desperately wanted to see him again. It was illogical to want to talk to someone so much, but perfectly logical to seek comfort with another being.

Sarek nodded to himself and sat at his computer, logging onto video and calling Spock. His son would answer: he always would.

The computer beeped and Spock's face appeared on the screen. "Father, are you feeling ill?"

"No, Spock."

"I ask merely because you only recently departed Earth and I cannot be sure why you are contacting me so soon."

Sarek tilted his head and looked at his son's concerned face. "I wished to speak with you."

Spock was confused, "For what reason?"

"I am unsure."

"Then I do not see a logical reason to call."

He thought for a second. "While on Earth I spoke with Miss Abbott's parents. They expressed the belief that you will one day marry her."

"Yes, Father. I will marry her one day and continue your legacy."

"Vulcans are an endangered species. Why do you not reproduce now?"

Spock looked his father in the eye. "She has not had a Vulcan upbringing and does not believe in the concept of marriage while young. I wish for her to be willing before we take any drastic steps in our bond. She is more like Mother than a Vulcan."

That sent pangs through Sarek's body, though he showed no emotion. "You must do what feels right. You have found your mate and deserve contentment. As a father it is my duty to give you my consent and wish you well in future endeavours."

"Thank you, father, I am honoured by your acceptance."

Sarek glanced out the window and saw that the sun was sinking. "I bid you goodnight."

"Good morning."

He terminated the call and stared at the sunset, a shred of contentment breaking through the heartbroken exterior. At least his son had found contentment, despite everything that had happened, and he couldn't have chosen a better mate.

Amanda would be proud.


	18. Warping Out, Together

And so it comes to an end. Hopefully you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it! Hopefully the first chapter to _Children of Two Worlds _will be up soon, which is a series of one-shots about both Spock and Zia that you haven't seen before, like how Spock learned to cook and how Zia got to Starfleet.

A huge thank you to **MoreColourfulMoniker, **I couldn't have done this without you.

And a massive massive thank you to all the following people for:

Reviewing: **TomateBastard, arialduex, ZabuzasGirl, angel897, DD, Bliss123, sweets1111, aandm20, LoneWolfPack, Vulcanlover12, BurnedSpy, Gatorade, Guest, NicoleR85**

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You are why a writer writes. Thank you for reading my story :)

o.O.o

**Chapter 18 – Warping Out, Together**

Thankfully it wasn't snowing just yet despite being early winter. Now twenty-two, Zia stood with a dozen other cadets, all of whom were graduating a year earlier than expected. There was a sea of people in front of the group – first-years, second-years, third-years, professors and family members. The faces of Giana, Patty, Tara and Blair stood out, smiling with glee that she was graduating.

To the right of the small group stood two-hundred fourth-years and the Admirals and Captains. Each cadet was addressed individually, their accomplishments listed and their Starfleet Academy Majors revealed. Every cadet had at least one major, some having three or four. Zia swelled with pride as each cadet was named, not tiring as all two-hundred were called. Most people tended to get bored towards the end, but not her. This was their time to shine!

And at last it was time for the third-years.

"Every year there is a group of talented third-year cadets who make the decision to graduate a year early," Admiral Barnett said. "It is a risky business, but only the best make it. May I present, Zia Abbott." She stepped forward. "This young cadet has graduated at the top of all her classes, breaking several records throughout her years at the Academy. She has earned majors in Advanced Theoretical Physics, Astrophysics and Exoarchaeology, and we will miss her."

He then moved onto the next cadet and a hand reached forward to squeeze her shoulder. She smiled, knowing that Yeto would be on the _Enterprise _with her as well as Spock.

There he was, right at the front of the crowd with Kirk and McCoy. His pride flowed through her and she grinned at him, basking in triumph. Spock had been proud of her since she'd learned to become a telepath, and even before that he took pride in her repeated High Distinctions.

Then the crowd was cheering and clapping, and the graduates ran down from the stage, whooping with delight. Her small group followed them quickly and accepted their majors (set in plaques) before racing off. She and Yeto rushed straight for Kirk, Spock and McCoy.

"You guys," Kirk grinned, holding out his arms. Yeto didn't usually hug, but he did now with everything in him. Zia joined in, crushing them both.

"Thank you sir," Yeto said, pulling away.

"I present," Kirk said dramatically, "the newest additions to the _Enterprise _family: Lieutenant Yeto Kestrel and Lieutenant Zia Abbott, Chief Science Officer!"

She laughed. "You know Captain; I thought you were kidding about that. Are you really serious?"

"Hell no I wasn't kidding! You've earned it." And she certainly had, given that she'd published several physics papers in the past eighteen months, done extremely well in the Kobayashi Maru and helped Kirk from a tight spot with a group of fan girls that were stalking him in a pub while the _Enterprise _crew was having a drink. She would never let him forget that.

McCoy clapped Yeto's shoulders. "Just in time for the five-year mission, eh? It should be fun."

"Yes sir."

"Damn it man, call me Doctor! Sir is just too… formal."

"Yes Doctor."

Zia grinned at Spock. "I can't believe you gave up your title for me."

He inclined his head. "It is difficult enough being the First Officer, and Captain Kirk felt it best that I hand over the title to someone deserving of it."

"Yeah, you're welcome!" Kirk shouted over the growing noise. All around them people mingled, talking and laughing loudly. "Come on, we're having a party to celebrate your graduation."

At that moment Giana, Patty, Tara and Blair appeared. They enveloped Zia in a group hug, laughing and talking indecipherably. When they finally let go Tara and Blair laced their hands together, grinning like maniacs.

"Congratulations!" they said in unison.

"Thank you," Zia laughed, her eyes shining.

Kirk threw his arms up. "What the hell! Why don't we all go to the party! Come on!"

He led the way and they all followed him like sheep towards the celebration. Spock reached out and grasped Zia's hand so as not to lose her in the crowd. Her other hand held her majors without any intention of letting go.

_'__I trust you will attend the rechristening of the _Enterprise _tomorrow?'_

_'__Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world.'_

o.O.o

"There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge, when those we love are taken from us. That's not who we are. We are here today to rechristen the _U.S.S. Enterprise_, and to honour those who lost their lives eighteen months ago. When Christopher Pike first gave me his ship, he had me recite the Captain's Oath, words I didn't appreciate at the time. Now I see them as a call for us to remember who we once were, and who we must be, again. And those words:

"Space… the final frontier. These are the continuing voyages of the _Starship Enterprise_. Her five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life, and new civilisations, to boldly go, where no one has gone… before…"

Planes swooped overhead, leaving exhaust steam in the sky. At the very front, people folded the Federation flag into a perfect square. Zia stared up at Captain Kirk, listening as he finished his speech. On one side of her sat Spock and on the other was Uhura. All around them sat countless Starfleet personnel to give their respects to Captain Pike and rechristen the _Enterprise_. It was quite cold and her new dress uniform was itchy, but she ignored it. As Kirk finished, Spock glanced over at her, his face tight. She smiled gently, sending him calming emotions to provide him with the support he needed.

Now she was a Lieutenant. She was no longer Cadet Abbott, but Lieutenant Abbott, and Chief Science Officer to boot. While scary, she was looking forward to the challenge.

"I now declare the _U.S.S. Enterprise _as an official Starship. Her maiden voyage will begin tomorrow, and it'll be five years before we'll see each other again." Kirk saluted, "To Captain Pike, for his sacrifice."

Everyone in the crowd stood and saluted, "To Captain Pike and his sacrifice."

o.O.o

In two hours she would be on the Starship and leaving Earth for five whole years. Zia stood in the dorm that had been her home for the past three years and sighed.

"It's going to take some getting used to," she said. Tara nodded.

"I'll miss not having a roommate," she said, hugging Zia yet again. "You're a good friend."

The door opened and Blair and Jamie came in, followed by Zia's parents.

"Don't forget about us," Jamie pouted.

Blair cleared his throat. "I've written a speech for you." He unfolded a piece of paper. "Zia, when we first met I thought I was hallucinating, because there was no possible way that a Vulcan was in my physics class. When I got to know you, I saw you for the wonderful person you truly are. I don't regret being called a geek just for hanging out with you, because you're a true friend, and true friends are friends for life. Make sure that when you get back from the mission, you look me up. My door is always open to you." He lowered the paper and smiled shyly.

"Thank you," she smiled, hugging him.

"Come on, group hug!" Jamie shouted. Laughing, everyone joined in and Zia felt like she was trapped in a sandwich.

"Thanks guys," she sighed. "I'll really miss you all, and I will look up every single one of you when I get back."

"You will definitely have to contact me," Jamie pouted. "Who else will tell me that I look gorgeous today?"

Zia laughed. "Don't worry, I will." She reached out and squeezed Jamie's hand, fighting that sadness that came with goodbyes.

Then it was her parents' turn.

"Honey, make sure you write," Giana said tearfully. "I don't know where you're going, but whenever you have the chance, please write or call."

"I will mum. And dad, I'll do my best to stay out of harm's way."

Patty cupped her face. "Our little girl is a Lieutenant about to embark on a five-year mission. You may be grown-up now, but you'll always be our little girl."

"I know dad." She hugged her parents, battling the tears.

Five years was a long time, she knew that. She also knew that a lot could change in five years. When she got back things wouldn't be the same; Tara and Blair could split up, Jamie could relocate to another planet and her parents could retire. They would have new friends, new relationships, and probably won't want to continue being friends with her. Yet she had to hope that they would always be friends. Tara, Blair and Jamie had been through so much with her, and Giana and Patty, well, they were her parents. It didn't matter that they weren't her biological parents because they would love her forever. In her mind, a mother and father were people who were beside her for everything, through the highs and lows and supported her no matter what. Giana and Patty had done that.

Tara had been Zia's friend from the moment they'd met. The human had never laughed at the Vulcan, never been nasty to her, and had been a faithful friend for three years. That kind of friendship was something she would miss, but true friendship lasted forever. Tara was the first person who'd turned life around for Zia. No one else had been so kind and thoughtful and accepting during those tough first days.

Hopefully they would remain friends for life. Yes, Zia would miss them all dearly and long for their company, but she wanted some adventure. She was ready to strike out on the _Enterprise _with the one she loved and make her own life.

And it was going to be awesome.

Zia faced her friends and family. "I'll be seeing you when I'm twenty-seven or twenty-eight." She reached onto her old bed, picked up both travel bags and slung the huge things over her shoulders, marching from the dorm before she could burst into tears.

Patty tilted his head as the door closed behind her. "Do you think we should have told her that Spock asked for my blessing because he plans to marry her sometime during the mission?"

All five of them exchanged glances. "No."

o.O.o

Her new room on the _Enterprise _was more spacious and it had its own bathroom too. As Chief Science Officer, it was just across the hall from Spock's room, which she liked very much.

She made sure her blue dress was decent and she had her rank pinned to her front before leaving her room and strolling down the hall, into the Turbolift and to the Bridge, where everyone but Kirk was waiting. Chekov was in the navigation seat, Sulu was lounging in the Captain's chair (what was with that?), Uhura was standing by her console, Spock was examining the contents of a PADD and McCoy stood uncertainly, looking a bit sick. At least Yeto was manning the Infirmary, giving McCoy a reason to be up here. She took her seat at the subspace anomaly console and spun in her chair, loving the familiar feel. It was exactly as she remembered it – the old crew was back together.

The Bridge doors opened and Kirk walked through in his yellow Captain's shirt, smiling in a satisfied way.

"Keptin on ze Bridge," Chekov announced.

Kirk took one look at Sulu and sighed as he strolled over. "It's hard to get out of it once you've had a taste, isn't that right Mister Sulu?"

Sulu stood and stepped away from the chair, clasping his hands behind his back. "'Captain' does have a nice ring to it. The chair's all yours sir."

Shaking his head as Sulu walked away, Kirk tapped the comm. "Mister Scott, how's our core?"

_"__Purring like a kitten Capt'n; she's ready for a long journey."_

"Excellent." Grinning, Kirk jumped down from the platform and landed in front of McCoy. "Come on Bones, it's gonna be fun."

He rushed away and McCoy pulled an extremely grumpy, but hilarious, face. "Five years in space, God help me."

A second later Kirk stopped beside Zia. "How's my new Chief Science Officer?"

She bit back her nerves, "Ready and raring to go Captain." And she was. This was space! She was fulfilling her dream! It was going to be fascinating and full of new experiences. Now she could escape the trappings of planet life and enjoy her freedom.

Kirk made another round before coming to a stop in front of his chair. "Spock."

"Captain," Spock said immediately, moving to join him.

They looked out into space. "Where should we go?"

Spock thought for a second. "As a mission of this duration has never been attempted, I defer to your good judgement, Captain."

Lips tilted in a smile, Spock turned and moved to his station beside Zia. She faced him. "Should I be nervous?"

He raised his eyebrow. "No."

Meanwhile, Kirk sat in his Captain's Chair. "Mister Sulu, take us out."

"Aye, Captain."

Zia and Spock's eyes met and their emotions could only be described as joy. A new adventure was starting, and this time they were both taking part in it. They'd survived everything that was thrown at them – separation, Pike's death, Khan, Kirk's death, the mind-meld dilemma and the Vulcan Hunters. They were strong, their love born of not only the good things but the bad too, and they would survive what the future would bring. Excitement surged through them as the _Enterprise _went into Warp.

This time they were warping out, together.


End file.
